[Leica] Photo bikes

[lrzeitlin at aol.com (lrzeitlin at aol.com)]

        While I can?t claim to be a camera expert, I have a lot of 
experience with bicyces. For a number of years I biked ten miles to and from 
work every fair weather day. It's not that I'm an eco-freak but just that I 
was willing to trade a half hour ride each way for the hassle of auto 
traffic and parking. My son and I were members of the Golden Apple bicycle 
club and took long rides through the countryside on Fall weekends. When we 
were younger and more fit, my wife, a less dedicated biker, and I would 
occasionally take our bikes on vacations to National Parks and the Blue 
Ridge Parkway. I still bike around the Adirondack foothills near my home. As 
you can guess, I have definite opinions on suitable bicycles for casual 
riding and associated photography. Here is some hard learned advice to would 
be photo-bikers:?
        First, unless you have a very good suspension system on a bike, any 
container or bag attached to the frame will be subject to jolts and severe 
vibration unless you are on the smoothest of roads. Particularly bad are 
bags attached to a carrier over the rear wheel. Suspension systems are 
designed to ease the ride for the rider, not the bike itself. If you carry a 
camera on your bike trip, keep it in a small day bag or pack worn on your 
back. Clearly weight is important so get the lightest equipment you consider 
adequate.
        Second, bikes are low security vehicles. In many venues you cannot 
leave a bike unattended for more than a few minutes and expect it to be 
there when you return. In several?decades of riding, I have had entire bikes 
stolen, wheels removed, and expensive components snatched, even through the 
bike was tethered to a rack or lamp post by a presumably unbreakable lock or 
cable. A bicycle thief wielding a chain cutter can steal a bike in 15 
seconds. Moral - do not leave your new Leica in a bike pack while you 
relieve yourself in a pissoir.
        Third, bikes have no weather protection. If it rains, you will get 
wet. Your camera should be able to handle dampness and the container should 
be waterproof.
        All that being said, I've found that the best film cameras are small 
P&S types. I used to use a trusty Rollei 35, then experimented with a number 
of less costly P&S cameras before settling on a relatively weatherproof 
Olympus Infinity Twin. That's the one with two lenses, a 35 mm and a 70 mm. 
Now that the photo world has gone digital, I carry a venerable Canon 780 
Elph P&S. It takes clear, sharp pictures and is cheap enough so I won't cry 
if it gets stolen or damaged. Of course, if you want to take really great 
photos while biking, carry the best equipment you can afford but be very, 
very watchful and have good insurance.
        Finally, folding bicycles are the Devil's invention. Bikers cherish 
bikes with stiff, light weight frames. Most folding bicycles have neither. 
Multiple joints in the frame encourage a definite wiggle. If not 
immediately, then after a season's modest use. The hinges welded to the 
crossbar and downtube are heavy and the strain they impose on the bicycle's 
frame means that it must be constructed of thick walled tubing. This makes 
the frame heavy for its size. The total weight of a good road or mountain 
bike is 20 to 24 lbs. Most folding bikes weigh in on the far side of 30 lbs, 
often as much as 35 or 36 lbs. In addition, most folding bikes have small 
wheels, 16" to 20". This gives a bone jarring ride on all but the smoothest 
roads. Sure, they fold up into compact packages but the purpose of a bike is 
to ride, not to store. After a few wiggly, bumpy rides on a hard to control 
folder, the average biker will call a cab instead.
        That's not to say that all folding bikes are bad. Some are very 
good. ?Moultons, DaHons and Bike Fridays are examples. But they are quite 
expensive. A lot of precision maching goes into making joints that won't 
loosen, attached to lightweight high tech frames to keep the weight down.
        If you keep to paved roads buy a bike without suspension. 
Suspensions add weight and are desirable only for off road riding. Bikes are 
available with rust resistant aluminum frames. Most of the components are 
aluminum as well and, if given a reasonable amount of care and periodic 
lubrication, they will hold up as long as you desire. I have two Raleigh 
bikes over 35 years old. The first made with all aluminum frames The bikes 
have a lifetime frame guarantee. I wish I had one too.
        If you have a little more money or less space, I recommend a 
Montague folding bicycle. This is essentially a standard bike where the 
front half of the frame pivots around the seat tube, the tube that goes from 
the seat to the pedals. I believe that Dahon distributed them for a while. A 
modification of this bike is the one designed by DARPA for Special Forces, 
Paratroopers, and Marines. A civilian version costs about $650, weighs 29 
lbs, and folds into a package 3 ft by 3 ft by 1 ft. Unfolded, you have a 24 
speed mountain bike with 26" wheels. Large bike dealers carry them or they 
can be ordered from Montague at www.militarybikes.com. For those who don't 
need to drop their bikes from airplanes, slightly less rugged versions are 
available at lower prices.

Larry Z