SPOKEY DOKES!!!

sarajoy
sarajoy Posts: 1,675
edited August 2009 in Commuting chat
Arrived today :D:D:D

Now, which colours to put on, and how many...
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Comments

  • blu3cat
    blu3cat Posts: 1,016
    as may as you can physically fit on the spokes and all the colours of the rainbow.

    V cool.

    Is it playing cards on the forks for that retro machine gun sound next? :)
    "Bed is for sleepy people.
    Let's get a kebab and go to a disco."

    FCN = 3 - 5
    Colnago World Cup 2
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    Nah quite happy with just the spokeys thanks :P

    I have 36 to play with, all lurid neon versions of purple, pink, orange, yellow, green and blue...

    EDIT: Wondering if I slow down enough behind a pedestrian who's in the way (shared paths around here) it may notify them of my presence more than the clicking of the freewheel... I feel it's too rude pinging my bell when it's a shared area!
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  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    You do realise they will reduce your wheels aerodynamics :P
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • beegee
    beegee Posts: 160
    Having somehow missed out on spokey-dokeys (a sign of a well-spent youth) I know nothing about them. So do they make a noise as you go along ? Or do they only make a noise when they hit the rim of the wheel - i.e. when you accelerate ? And are they a cunning way to stop being stealing your bike ?
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    My bike's not really very aerodynamic anyway, esp with my ample bum atop it :D A few spoke beads will do no harm...
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  • blu3cat
    blu3cat Posts: 1,016
    You do realise they will reduce your wheels aerodynamics

    Ah but your retro cool factor increase more than makes up for it!

    And it has been (un)scientifically proven that adding spokey dokes to a bike makes it go faster, in the same way as a stripe down the side of a car does. :wink:
    "Bed is for sleepy people.
    Let's get a kebab and go to a disco."

    FCN = 3 - 5
    Colnago World Cup 2
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    beegee wrote:
    Having somehow missed out on spokey-dokeys (a sign of a well-spent youth) I know nothing about them. So do they make a noise as you go along ? Or do they only make a noise when they hit the rim of the wheel - i.e. when you accelerate ? And are they a cunning way to stop being stealing your bike ?

    I just like them in a terribly childish way!

    The only make a noise when you're rolling really slowly. As soon as you get much over walking speed, centripetal forces throw them out to the rim and the noise stops.
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  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    sarajoy wrote:
    beegee wrote:
    Having somehow missed out on spokey-dokeys (a sign of a well-spent youth) I know nothing about them. So do they make a noise as you go along ? Or do they only make a noise when they hit the rim of the wheel - i.e. when you accelerate ? And are they a cunning way to stop being stealing your bike ?

    I just like them in a terribly childish way!

    The only make a noise when you're rolling really slowly. As soon as you get much over walking speed, centripetal forces throw them out to the rim and the noise stops.

    Or throws them off the wheel at passing pedestrians and cars :P
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • prj45
    prj45 Posts: 2,208
    sarajoy wrote:
    I feel it's too rude pinging my bell when it's a shared area!

    There's a shared path I ride up where I often encounter peds going my way taking up the full width of the path (i.e. walking in the middle of it). I find the best is clicking your brake levers, anything else makes people jump out of their skin.

    I've tried all sorts, the bell makes people stop, always followed with a thank you, but they didn't need to stop.

    Just riding up behind them and saying excuse me makes them jump in the air more often than not.

    Just riding round them without notifying them can make them jump too, like hand on heart type scare.

    Nah, a few clicks on the brake levers seems to work best when approaching peds from behind, maybe a ting of the bell when you're a good distance away.

    I keep telling the missus the bell on the nike means "I'm here" rather than "Get out of my way" but apparently she thinks hers says the latter.

    Now, what to do for people with headphones on...
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    Ah, headphoned ones are very frustrating.
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  • Beeblebrox
    Beeblebrox Posts: 145
    I ping the bell and make them jump - else what's the point!?





    ... 'though I do say thank you when I pass :oops:
  • NGale
    NGale Posts: 1,866
    My bell was disposed of very quickly because people ignore them around here. I find a loud shout of 'excuse me' usually does the trick...often followed by 'This is the cycle path' while looking at the empty pedestrian walk way next to me!
    Officers don't run, it's undignified and panics the men
  • Jay dubbleU
    Jay dubbleU Posts: 3,159
    My bike is so quiet I find that they don't hear me coming so a ping on the bell is the only way to let them know I'm there - I do say thanks though - whilst on the subject I find it amazing how unaware the majority of people are to what is going on around them or is it that my spider sense has improved since I'e been on the bike ?

    Sarajoy - be aware that spokey dokes are the first step on the road the hippydom - next it will be dream catchers and finally wind chimes - but at least they'll hear you coming
  • Soul Boy
    Soul Boy Posts: 359
    Hey Sarajoy,

    Where'd you get them from? A friend of mine, no honest, it is a friend of mine :oops: , was looking for them recently for his niece. I couldn't find details anywhere....

    Cheers.
  • Furbes
    Furbes Posts: 289
    sarajoy wrote:
    beegee wrote:
    Having somehow missed out on spokey-dokeys (a sign of a well-spent youth) I know nothing about them. So do they make a noise as you go along ? Or do they only make a noise when they hit the rim of the wheel - i.e. when you accelerate ? And are they a cunning way to stop being stealing your bike ?

    I just like them in a terribly childish way!

    The only make a noise when you're rolling really slowly. As soon as you get much over walking speed, centripetal forces throw them out to the rim and the noise stops.

    Shouldn't that be "centrifugal force" :?: I am quiet willing to hang my head in shame should i be wrong :wink:
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    Soul Boy wrote:
    Hey Sarajoy,

    Where'd you get them from? A friend of mine, no honest, it is a friend of mine :oops: , was looking for them recently for his niece. I couldn't find details anywhere....

    Cheers.
    Ebay :)

    Search on "spoke beads" - but do look elsewhere, it's just ebay was cheapest for me as I wanted a new bottle cage too from the same supplier...
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  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    Furbes wrote:
    sarajoy wrote:
    beegee wrote:
    Having somehow missed out on spokey-dokeys (a sign of a well-spent youth) I know nothing about them. So do they make a noise as you go along ? Or do they only make a noise when they hit the rim of the wheel - i.e. when you accelerate ? And are they a cunning way to stop being stealing your bike ?

    I just like them in a terribly childish way!

    The only make a noise when you're rolling really slowly. As soon as you get much over walking speed, centripetal forces throw them out to the rim and the noise stops.

    Shouldn't that be "centrifugal force" :?: I am quiet willing to hang my head in shame should i be wrong :wink:

    :D

    Nah, our old Physics teacher would tell us off when we said centrifugal!

    Actually, I'm half wrong anyway, so you're right to call me up on it.

    The centripetal force is the force in towards the centre of rotation. It is felt by the spoke bead as soon as it hits the rim, it is then the centripetal force that keeps it from flying out any further.

    The 'centrifugal' force is sort of a fake force - assumed to be there because things follow its path, or seem to. Water stays in a vertically rotating bucket-on-a-string because the /centripetal/ force of the bucket stops it going any further. If you like, the equal-and-opposite force that the water exerts back on the bucket /could/ be called centrifugal. But it isn't really a proper force on its own....
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  • Furbes
    Furbes Posts: 289
    I'll hang my head so :roll:
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    I wouldn't worry about it, I think it was only once we hit A-Level and angular momentum that he started calling us up on it (occasionally cracking a ruler on a desk for effect!)... Centrifugal and centripetal as basically the same thing - just exact opposites :)
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  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    sarajoy wrote:
    My bike's not really very aerodynamic anyway, esp with my ample bum atop it :D A few spoke beads will do no harm...

    Don't you mean aBUN(s)dant?? :D

    I always wanted some for the old commuter (pic in sig link)... I used to have tassels on the bars, but some barsteward nicked 'em!
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    Teeheehee just fitted them! 5 to each wheel :D

    It's the oddest feeling being an adult on a grown-up bike but hearing that pinging noise I remember from childhood!!! I tittered all the way around the car park at work!

    They seem to stop/start pinging at about 6MPH or so. So at walking pace, definitely noticeable.

    Heeeee!!!!!
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  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    Oh the only thing to be careful of is not sticking them on the side of a wheel which might interfere with any computer sensors...
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  • peachos
    peachos Posts: 47
    haha, i'm so getting some of these to pimp out my mates bike at the weekend (obviously when he's not looking!)

    i love the fact that if you buy them from halfords they are fittted by 'Fully trained professionals'
    Norco Six-One

    Manchester Mountain Bikers (search on www.meetup.com)
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    Well, I now have 26 of the things left, so aside from possible guerilla-accessorising of workmates' bikes in the shed, I'm virtually swimming in the things! I could always pop a few off in the post...
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  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    sarajoy wrote:
    Well, I now have 26 of the things left, so aside from possible guerilla-accessorising of workmates' bikes in the shed, I'm virtually swimming in the things! I could always pop a few off in the post...

    DO IT

    do it do it do it do it...

    :lol:
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    Need to work out whose bike is whose mind you - need people with a sense of humour! Plus it won't be hard to see who's the perpetrator...
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  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    sarajoy wrote:
    Need to work out whose bike is whose mind you - need people with a sense of humour! Plus it won't be hard to see who's the perpetrator...

    Not everyone will have seen your spokeydokey'd bike yet! Seize your opportunity, then claim that you are also a victim of teh phantom spokey-doker...

    Or take to the streets... :D
  • sarajoy wrote:
    Need to work out whose bike is whose mind you - need people with a sense of humour! Plus it won't be hard to see who's the perpetrator...

    Ah, but you can claim to be a victim yourself and place the blame squarley at someone elses door
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    sarajoy wrote:
    Oh the only thing to be careful of is not sticking them on the side of a wheel which might interfere with any computer sensors...

    Aren't these things plastic so in theory the only way they will interfere with a puter is when the SDs hit the magnet on the spoke. Just leave that spoke(s) for the magnet.
    BTW your FCN might need a recalculation with the go faster add-ons.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    Nah, the clearance between the sensor (on the stay) and the spoke is pretty small, so should one happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, it could jam a little and one or the other will ping out the way...

    ...admittedly on the way home I had to remove a few, they do rattle a little bit as you go along! 3 on one wheel, 2 on the other now. Perfick :D
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