Fargo Street bicycle challenge

Quote: Pacomartin

I was wondering, because to call a penny farthing bike "ordinary" is a very anachronistic name.

It's not even 200 years old!

And I think you meant to say "archaic," as in "very old." Not "anachronistic" as in "not belonging to the time period depicted or under study."

BTW, any vehicle with less than three wheels is a death-trap by definition. (ie death-trap: n. a vehicle with less than three wheels.)

Quote: Pacomartin

Speaking of death traps, there is a movement to bring back bicycles where you can't change gears (slang is "fixie" for "fixed gear"). Instead of a big wheel in front, you have two wheels of the same size, but the gears change spin rates so it is equivalent to having one big wheel in the front. But you can't change gears for hills.

Yeah, I just came back from UCSB and saw a whole lot of them. The guy who runs Discount Gambling is really into his and has recorded probably thousands of miles on Strava with it. I think they would be very suitable for flat areas.

Bring them back? Fixies are the hipsters latest crush and you can't move for tripping over them round these parts. Everytime I see a nice bike that I like the look of for upgrading my old second beater, it's a bleeding fixie. The fact you can't freewheel on them makes them difficult to ride, but apparently a lot of fun once you learn how and get yourself clipped in and make the bike an extension of yourself.

One of my friends had one a good ten years ago. He used to flip the wheel around to a different gear set when on the long climbs on his favourite route. He said the big danger of fixies when tinkering with the gear chain... that thing will eat up your fingers, as there's no free wheel... he did share a picture of the result of one enthusiasts finger afterwards. Ugh.

Quote: Nareed

And I think you meant to say "archaic," as in "very old." Not "anachronistic" as in "not belonging to the time period depicted or under study."

I understand your point, but I am not sure if that is true.
The word "omnibus" in reference to a vehicle is archaic, but the word "ordinary" is not archaic. Calling a bicycle with a giant front wheel "ordinary" is an anachronism, just like calling a bicycle with gears a "safety bicycle" is an anachronism. Anything that is "out of time" is an anachronism.

Quote: Pacomartin

Anything that is "out of time" is an anachronism.

No.

A coin with the image of Julius Caesar minted in his reign as consul for life is archaic.

A movie, say, showing that coin during the reign of Marius is anachronistic.

I may be doing this hill as practice for Fargo Street shortly, with the help of a forum member (not sure if he wants to be known) to video the challenge, in early August. Stay tuned for more details.

Quote: Wizard

I may be doing this hill as practice for Fargo Street shortly

That may be a difficult practice hill because it looks so narrow.

I wonder if you could run up the temple at Coba near Cancun. Almost nobody can do it as it is 120 steps averaging 14". Most people are scared and they lose their balance.


The pyramid of the sun outside of Mexico city has 248 steps, but they are 10.5" apiece and there are flat sections that break it up.

Quote: Pacomartin

That may be a difficult practice hill because it looks so narrow.

That won't bother me as I wasn't planning to traverse.

Quote:

I wonder if you could run up the temple at Coba near Cancun. Almost nobody can do it as it is 120 steps averaging 14". Most people are scared and they lose their balance.

Piece of cake. Don't forget I climbed to the top of the Stratosphere in very good time.

I also did these stairs:



And these



Can you guess where they are?

Quote: Wizard

Piece of cake. Don't forget I climbed to the top of the Stratosphere in very good time.
Can you guess where they are?

You talked about one of these sites in an earlier post. There are a lot more steps in those sites, but they look like they have a normal rise


Coba was built in 200 and 600 AD so it inevitably has worn away in sections. Plus the steps are 14" high and fairly narrow to give you that steep grade. But it can't be too much different than balancing on a unicycle at those kind of grades.



At any rate I think if you go to Cancun you should go to Coba before you go to Chichen Itza. The rawness of the site springing out of the jungle will appeal to you. You can't climb the pyramids anymore at Chichen Itza.

Quote: Wizard

Can you guess where they are?

Minbar?