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Lennard Zinn tech Q&A: Would @lancearmstrong use shifters like this?
Dear Readers,
I’ve discovered the ultimate in compatibility of shifting components: Sturmey-Archer 3-speed shifters and hubs work perfectly with Campagnolo, Shimano or SRAM 9-, 10-, or 11-speed drivetrains.
What a sweet deal! Now you can avoid all of those flashy colorful bikes and get top performance with a nice, practical black bike with steel upright handlebars. Or you can simplify your flashy lightweight modern bike with a practical, three-position lever.
To hook up any brake-shift lever to a Sturmey-Archer hub, simply connect the cable from the dual control lever to the little chain coming out of the end of the hub axle. Don’t worry about all of those extra clicks in the lever; you’ll only need three of them.
Hooking up a Sturmey-Archer shifter to a Campy, Shimano or SRAM rear derailleur is even easier — just route the cable and connect it. Ignore any skipping around the chain may do on the cogs and the fact that you can only use three of the cogs, and just go ride and quit your whining.
Lennard
Dear Lennard,
What do I do when nature calls big time and I’m out on my bike and am far from a restroom? I want to know the most ecologically sound method.
Matt
Dear Matt,
If you can’t hold it until you find a proper facility, then get off of your bike and head perpendicularly away from the road or trail. Avoiding the bottom of any drainage, dig a hole, or, if the ground is too hard, remove a rock to expose a hole. Make your deposit and replace the dirt or rock.
Now, if you had been carrying a copy of one of my maintenance books with you on your ride as you should have been, tear out as many pages as needed for your cleanup. In a desert environment, paper takes too long to biodegrade, so plan ahead by bringing matches or a lighter and burn the paper. In a rainy environment, and particularly on a rainy day, burning may not even be possible, although the wiping will have been softer. In this case, you can put the paper in the hole with your deposit and count on nature to do the rest.
In the absence of a source of paper, leaves and grass will suffice, as long as the leaves are not shiny and pointy and grouped together in three-leaf clusters. A smooth stick is also a good option.
Among the least environmentally responsible methods is one of the first that many cyclists resort to, namely sacrificing a sock or two. Whether you burn them or bury them, this is a bad deal, since synthetic fibers don’t biodegrade, and they produce toxic fumes when burned. Of course, if you wore 100 percent cotton, wool, hemp, or corn-fiber socks, you’re golden.
-Lennard
