Topic: Answering a question that nobody is asking

[gerhed]

"Say Gerhed, how do you turn that railbike thing around
when you want to head in the other direction?"

"Simple really, just pivot the whole thing around a central point
 (first lift the cross member onto the pivot point) after  jacking up the
bike with a boat trailer jack-which has a wheel on the end of it"

[Bob Wessner]

I thought you used the nearest roundhouse.

[tramp]

next question
how fast can you disassemble before the train runs you over?

[medic09]

next question
how fast can you disassemble before the train runs you over?

[gerhed]

next question
how fast can you disassemble before the train runs you over?

No Problem ?

[dusterdude]

cool f models

[my78k]

LMAO....that was funny Tramp!

I gotta admit, I think the idea is cool but there is no way in hell I would do it! I would rather skydive or bungee jump or whatever! Something about it just seems way too dangerous! I would need a guarantee in writing from CN rail that the line was no longer in use and had in fact been disconnected form any serviceable section of line before I would do it...

Dennis

[seaweb11]

I was taught at a very young age "don't play on railway tracks".   

I still don't get this hobby   Perhaps you could enlighten us as to its' upside and your obvious passion for it.

P.S. I have sky dived and bungied among other foolish pursuits

[Bob Wessner]

P.S. I have sky dived and bungied among other foolish pursuits

And you're asking for an explanation of his pastime?

[gerhed]

I was taught at a very young age "don't play on railway tracks".   

I still don't get this hobby   Perhaps you could enlighten us as to its' upside and your obvious passion for it.

P.S. I have sky dived and bungied among other foolish pursuits

Sweb,

It's about the rails.
They are uncompromising and forbidding.
There is a definite feeling that you should not be there.
And I have tamed (sort of) this beast with a machine
of my own making.
Not dissimilar to the feeling I got when I used to run my Indian at 90 plus
for a few minutes out West, in my youth !

gerhed

[seaweb11]

so are these "dead lines"

[gerhed]

so are these "dead lines"

These particular tracks are not used.
They run about 20 miles between Indian Head and Waldorf, Maryland.
There is a plan to tear them up for hiking and biking.
As a "concerned hiker" I called the state agency involved and
found out the project is on hold.
Sorry to hear that.

With my 48 volt hub motor I can run about 10 miles at 10 m.p.h.

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah, I can see that it'd be fun, but you've gotta put an engine in that thing mate, that way you might be able to out run a (slow moving) train! Here's a pic of my motorised bicycle, it'll do 30-odd miles per hour and gets around 200 miles per gallon, so would be a heck of a lot more fun than electric! Cheers, Terry.

[Steve F]

Yeah, I can see that it'd be fun, but you've gotta put an engine in that thing mate, that way you might be able to out run a (slow moving) train! Here's a pic of my motorised bicycle, it'll do 30-odd miles per hour and gets around 200 miles per gallon, so would be a heck of a lot more fun than electric! Cheers, Terry.

Unless you derail the thing at 30.....OUCH 

[BobbyR]

I was taught at a very young age "don't play on railway tracks".   

I still don't get this hobby   Perhaps you could enlighten us as to its' upside and your obvious passion for it.

P.S. I have sky dived and bungied among other foolish pursuits

Railroad right of ways go through some of the prettiest scenery. There is a lot of "dead track" in the US. When a Railroad discontinues using a section of track they have to report it to the Federal Rail Road Administration. This information is available on their website.
It is a quiet activity like hiking or canoeing. Not a thrill pastime, but quiet way of getting away from things. I work with rolling stock and know the dangers, but what he is doing is pretty safe. You need to be wary of washouts on really old track.   

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah, I can see that it'd be fun, but you've gotta put an engine in that thing mate, that way you might be able to out run a (slow moving) train! Here's a pic of my motorised bicycle, it'll do 30-odd miles per hour and gets around 200 miles per gallon, so would be a heck of a lot more fun than electric! Cheers, Terry.

Unless you derail the thing at 30.....OUCH 

Yeah, but it doesn't look like it's gonna come off in a hurry, probably much safer than my bicycle on a public road ha ha!

[BobbyR]

Yeah, I can see that it'd be fun, but you've gotta put an engine in that thing mate, that way you might be able to out run a (slow moving) train! Here's a pic of my motorised bicycle, it'll do 30-odd miles per hour and gets around 200 miles per gallon, so would be a heck of a lot more fun than electric! Cheers, Terry.

Unless you derail the thing at 30.....OUCH 

Yeah, but it doesn't look like it's gonna come off in a hurry, probably much safer than my bicycle on a public road ha ha!

That stinky noisy motor of yours would ruin the Zen of the experience. 

[Terry in Australia]

Now that's just hurtful Bobby, my beautiful little 60cc engine neither stinks, smokes (much) or makes more noise than necessary, to perform it's intended function.

Hell, would our pioneering forefathers have been worried by a little noise coming from those huge steam or diesel powered behemoths that allowed us to travel comfortably across our nations in a matter of days, rather than months, because they'd upset our inner calm?

Zen, schmen I say, fugg that, that's for old farts with too much time on their hands, and no friends. I want a Kawasaki H2 750 3 cylinder 2 stroke engine powered rail-snail like Gerheads, with chrome expansion chambers and no damn baffles, towing another rail snail containing several of my mates, and an "Esky" full of cold beer!! (where's a smiley poking out it's tongue when you need it?) 

[BobbyR]

My apologies mate. Our pioneering forefathers were probably wanted for something somewhere else so that had to move fast. They built  Nations so we can enjoy the Zen of the moment. They also built long wide roads where we can unleash our non Zen urges. Where did you get that motor for the Bike? I have a bike in the Garage I was going to use for exercise, but it seemed to much like work, I think a small motor would make it more appealing. 

[Terry in Australia]

G'Day Bobby, well this is the same kit as I bought on EBay Australia, and as you can see, they sell all the spare parts you'll ever need too. The engine is only 60CC's though, the part number is F80, so I think that's where the confusion lies. The sellers "Sale price" is about what I paid for my kit on EBay with a "Buy it now" price of $205.00 AUD.

http://www.kingsmotorbikes.com/Engine_Kit1.htm

Interestingly, they may be a direct copy of an old American kit, (these are made in China, of course) I found this item on EBay and initially thought this guy was "fibbing" about it being an older kit, but he might be telling the truth, there are some differences, like the "pull starter" that isn't on the one I bought.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/old-kanter-bicycle-with-old-after-market-motor-kit_W0QQitemZ120177641426QQihZ002QQcategoryZ6737QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

They are great fun though, and easy enough to install and use. I sold the one in the pic to an Infantry Captain, and immediately bought another kit, for another old bike I've got, that like you, I bought to get fit, and only rode around my back yard once, ha ha! Cheers, Terry.

[754]

That would be a fun thing to do with one of my  Whizzers

[Terry in Australia]

That EBay ad for the bike with the "period" engine kit is a load, as it turns out, I found the exact same engine kit on EBay Oz with the pull starter and centrifugal clutch. Now I gotta get one! Ha ha, Cheers, Terry.

[my78k]

Thanks for the inspiration Bobby...now I will have something to do with all my free time after I get fired for looking at naked chicks at work...

Dennis

[BobbyR]

Sorry, I just had too, it was too good to pass up.

[turin39789]

Thanks for the inspiration Bobby...now I will have something to do with all my free time after I get fired for looking at naked chicks at work...

Dennis

I'll probably have some free time too.