Shannon thinks it is squirrly. She hasn't used the word squirrely, but the handleing is kinda...*waves arms.*
Tonight I test-rode a Long Haul Trucker. And it was not squirrely. When I turned, it turned; when I went straight it went straight. Which leads me to two conclusions:
1. The Peugeot is sick
2. A LHT is sick (as in cool)
3. The cat has found catnip and is very clingy.
perhaps a new bike is somewhere in the future. But I have new questions.
I have been using 27in tires and like the larger wheel, maybe, should I try out another bike with 27in tires and see if I like them better than the 26in tires I rode today.
What about the Pugsley I test rode last year? I seemed to be pretty gaga for that too. what the hell, am I just excited to buy something new?
How am I going to come up with the extra thousand dollars.
The difference in size of wheel might be enough so I don't feel like I am buying a modernized replica of what I already have, or like Jim said in the shop: "you could make it [Frenchie] a single speed." tempting.
The trouble with me buying an expensive mountain bike is: I don't mountain bike. winter commuting by bike might be just as easy with Nokians. (I dunno, but thats what I hear).
1.???
2. Profit!
3. buy bike
2 comments:
I still have my somewhat trustworthy Peugeot 60 UE8M (aka Unlucky Pierre). Remember reading somewhere that large old Frenchies tend to have a low speed wobble.
Here's the link.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/kunich.html
So after reading your post, dug the old beast out from behind the boob tube and did a slow ride. It does wobble a little bit, but was going pretty slow. Not much and since I've only owned it for 24 years, well used to it. It currently has a wheel set off an old Gitane that was redone to 700C rims and has thin 23c road tires.
Compared it to its two stable mates, an old Fuji Supreme and a slightly newer Schwinn Worldsport (Giant in Taiwan) and it does wobble more but has a nicer feel. Those are on 27 1/4" tires.
Your bike is not sick, it's just French!
Tonight I rode home with a tailwind, and had a much more impressive average speed. Also Frenchie tracked better.
I was reading a while back about high speed wobble in some bikes, but I'd never heard of low speed wobble.
I should look around for the old rim, I do still have Frenchie's original rear wheel. I wonder what the size was...
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