Bad Mechanics Files

[rickpaulos]

I bought a couple pairs of these LED pedals about 20 years ago for my wife's commuter bike. They didn't last long.  I'm including this because of the bad implementation by the designer/manufacturer.

There is a small generator inside the pedal.  A magnetic ring on the pedal shaft sits inside a metal clad coil in the pedal body.  8 leds in each pedal.  Plastic body.  Steel bearing cups that fell out when I took the pedals apart.

I thought this was a good idea at first, but.

1: your feet tend to block the light from behind so following vehicles really don't see them well.

2: The internal wiring is very thin.  Somehow the connections were barely connected or ripped apart.  There are 2 wires coming out of the coil and 1 was ripped out. Only the slightest bit sticking out. Not enough to solder to.  I tested the generator and it did work. I stuck the ring magnet on my finger and turned it inside the coil.  Then I noticed a cool thing I hadn't seen before  on the bike. The LED's are wired, half +/- and the other half -/+. So the LEDS are turning on and off in rapid order on the alternating LEDS.

3: the ring magnet inner diameter is about .5 mm larger than the pedal shaft so it turns freely so it does not generate any power.  No sign of any glue to hold it. I wonder if the magnet swelled up sitting in the parts bin for 20 years.  It's some sort of composite material with the magnetic material embedded.

4: the generator compartment means your feet have to sit outboard a bit.


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[JeffC]

Are you sure the label on the package said LED pedals and not Lead pedals?

[rickpaulos]

Manitou 2 shock fork from 1992.

Internal elastomers replaced with reinforced rubber washers, hard plastic spacers and some wood. Lubed with some mystery red substance (not grease).

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[rickpaulos]

On a small 24 inch wheel Raleigh mountain bike.  No room for a bottle cage on the frame.  MacGyver added a long reflector bracket to the headset for the cage.  Not long enough to hold the cage in front of the bars so it's now on the side where you knee goes when pedaling.  If you look close you can see where the bottom end was previously grinding its way through the aluminum head tube just above the bottom bearing cup.


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edited to add a closeup of the frame mauling.  No cracks so it should be okay use.

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[rickpaulos]

"Baby's got a new ride"

The bike is an early 1970s Nishiki Road Comp.  A bit mind boggling.  Seat relocated to an old baby seat bracket.  No front brake. Rear center pull relocated to the front of the rear brake bridge with poor cable routing.  No brake lever?  Two bar end shifters, probably stock, one is still connected to the rear derailleur but it's not clear if the other shift lever is connected to the front derailleur or rear brake.  Dropped bars jacked around to put them within reach.  The ergonomic position on the bike is killer.  Not enough weight on the front wheel for decent control.  Seat way too close to the cranks so expect major cramping in the leg muscles.  Seat post removed as it would surely be stabbing the rider in the chest.

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[JeffC]

That sure is some creativity. The rider made a 10 speed into a chopper by moving everything backwards.

I'm sure there are a few salvageable parts on the aluminum frame Raleigh.

[Sleeper]

That yellow Huffy "Rock It" is an abomination to be sure! In the past, I have picked up similar "bikes" (if one can call them that) from the curb on garbage collection day. I feel there is some level of redemption for them if one has the time to harvest some of the generic components. I've "harvested" single speed freewheels, saddles, chains and handlebar grips (among other things) that are likely able to reenter the bike world. For those with way too much time on their hands, bearings can be collected and reused (many of these bike are barely ridden). I do hope that the carcass that remains after the harvest goes to a metal scrapyard and not the landfill. Most every mechanic shop has a scrap bin for iron and steel (and prolly one for aluminum too). Most will gladly accept bike scrap since they sell it to the scrapyard.
I too, am curious as to how the "promised" tariffs will affect the bicycle market? I'm guessing the effect will be similar to what we saw with the supply chain issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

[rickpaulos]

I guess this thread will have to include bad assemblers in the factory.

On it's way to The Congo (down under) so it's okay.

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