# I shoulda kept my big mouth shut



## Zeus-cat (Feb 5, 2011)

I told my wife an interesting piece of trivia I picked up from reading Track Planning for Realistic Operation" by John Armstrong. In the book he states that the locomotive power required to move a train doubles when the grade changes from flat (0% grade) to only (0.3% grade). It triples when the grade increase to 1%. 

So now you are thinking, so how did that get you in trouble with the missus? Well, the next day it warmed up enough up here in Ohio that we got our bikes out for the first time this year and went for a ride. We did our usual after work ride of 8 miles and it has a couple of hills. As we started up the first hill it seemed like a steady stream of comments like "going up this this hill requires 4 times the regular effort of flat ground", "it is so steep here that now it is taking 17 times the regular effort". And on and on and on... 

She has always stated that the bike trail we ride our long rides on in the summer has a definite grade to it. She claims it is downhill on the outbound leg and then uphill after we turn around and head home. The bike path is built on a reclaimed railroad right of way so it is pretty gradual and there might be a slight grade to it, but I can't really tell. I just know I am going to hear about it all summer long. 

And I know for sure that I am not mentioning the concept of a consist to her. She would insist that we link up our bikes and that I do most of the work pulling her home!


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## nsr_civic (Jun 21, 2010)

sounds like you need one of these then!
http://www.schwinnbikes.com/bikes/electric/searcher-e8-9582


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

Thats funny! You need a Tandem! Or Not?? :laugh::laugh:


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

sounds like you need one of these
http://www.freakingnews.com/Motorcycle-Pictures--1879.asp


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Funny story!

I rented a tandem bike with my wife one summer vacation ... attempted to ride around the beautiful hills/trails of Acadia Nat'l Park in Maine. Very scenic, but ...

Nothin' works on killing a marriage like a tandem bike ride with the wife! Dohh!


TJ


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

My old (young) lady pulls me around on one of these.:thumbsup:











I just sit back and yell "MUSH,MUSH".


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Sure you do.


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## Jammer Six (Feb 10, 2011)

If I even breathed "mush", I'd be yelling "wait, come back, I was joking!"


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

I'm the pack mule in our house. And trust me, those long gradual grades can almost be more tiring than the short steep ones.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

cabledawg, I'm the same as you, I'm the mule here too. The only advantage is that I have the dogs to help mush me around too!


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

http://www.vespausa.com/scooters.html#!s=home/gts-300

Supposedly, this will do 80MPH. Not sure I'd want to try it that fast.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You'd have to have a screw loose to do 80 on a Vespa! :laugh:


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