Version 0.2.1a [FullScottishBreakfast] of 2001-04
BikeCode0.2 -- http://www.tibsnjoan.co.uk/bikecode.html P: [Tibs] Tc B10 K:++ i29:30" h1.65m n1960 H+:~ v~ A+ M+ Rg- B: [AnthroTech] 3tRu U1c w37" Wr19:406 Mfr SAf bDh[Sachs]:C G3x7 8s Lrr1B Cb[Michael] VjsX col[MidnightBlue] T: [BurleyD'Lite] 2c2[Thomas] f++ VsX
I was driven to do this after (well, some considerable time after) reading David Martin's The theory of BIG, although I don't suppose he can really be blamed for my madness/stupidity. It also, of course, follows on in the "feetsteps" of such as the Bear Code, alt.fan.pratchett Code, Geek Code and Cantab Code (although my favourite is probably the Meta Geek Code), none of which should be blamed for anything except themselves...
If you use any of this, you're probably dafter than I am.
Whilst, of course, BikeCode0.2 replaces BikeCode0.1, you might still need to reference the older document for some reason, and if so you can find it here (at least for the moment).
If you're into mountain biking, you may also be interested in Matt Wenham's MTB code (which also has a simple form-based interface for generating codes).
Those URIs seem to be out-of-date, and I can't find a current link. However, there is a neat interface to construct an MTB code here, and another to deconstruct it here.
Back to top of Introduction | Back to Contents |
Starts with a P prelude.
P
[ n ]:
[[
name]
]
and then a sequence of codes (starting with the ob (if applicable), T and B codes, which are compulsory:
A | Advocacy | opinion |
Aero | Aerobelly | |
B | BIG rating | number |
c | Cadence | number |
D | Distance | dimension |
D | Electronics | opinion |
EC | EC number | number |
F | Fitness | opinion |
g | Gender/sex | code |
H | Helmet | opinion |
h | Height | dimension |
i | Inside leg | dimension |
K | Kitchen sink carrying tendency | opinion |
L | Clothing/Lycra | opinion |
M | Maintenance skills | opinion |
Mb | Maintenance: number of components | opinion |
Mi | Maintenance: improvisation | opinion |
Mp | Maintenance: packrat points | opinion |
m | Mass (weight) | dimension |
n | Year born (nativity) | [approx] year |
O | Oil (lubrication) | opinion |
ob | Obligate cyclist | |
p | Heart rate (pulse) | number |
Rg | Retrogrouch | opinion |
T | Type of cyclist | code |
trk | Trackstanding | opinion |
V | Van or other transport | code |
v | Valve preferences | opinion |
W | Welding skills | opinion |
Back to top of Summary of codes | Back to Contents |
Starts with a B or b prelude (or a TB prelude).
B
[ n ]:
[[
make]
] [brk
[[
detail]
] ]b
[ n ]:
[[
make]
] [brk
[[
detail]
] ]TB
[ n ]:
[[
make]
] [brk
[[
detail]
] ]
Continues with a basic description cluster:
#-of-wheels [ tandemness ] style
and then a sequence of codes:
() | Fairings | code |
/ | Pulled by (for a trailer bike) | bikes |
2 | Tandem or sociable | code |
8 | Suspension | code |
b | Brakes | code |
C | Child seat | code |
col | Colour | name |
d | Front or rear drive | code |
E | Electronics | opinion |
F | Fixed gears | |
f | Folding | opinion |
fm | Frame material | code |
G | Gears | code |
H | Homebuilt | code |
L | Luggage | code |
l | Length | dimension |
M | Mudguards (fenders) | code |
m | Mass (weight) | dimension |
O | Oil (lubrication) | opinion |
P | Power assist | code |
p | Pedals | code |
ral | RAL code for colour | name |
red | Red paint | |
S | Saddle | code |
s | Steering front or back | code |
U | Use of bike | code |
V | Visibility aids | code |
Wr | Wheel rim details | code |
Wt | Tyre details | code |
w | Width | dimension |
Back to top of Summary of codes | Back to Contents |
Starts with a T or t prelude:
T
[ n ]:
[[
make]
]t
[ n ]:
[[
make]
]
Continues with a basic description cluster:
#-of-wheels type [ count ] [
[
use]
]
and then a sequence of codes:
/ | Pulled by | bikes |
C | Capacity | dimension |
f | Folding | opinion |
H | Homebuilt | code |
l | Length | dimension |
M | Mudguards (fenders) | code |
m | Mass (weight) | dimension |
V | Visibility aids | code |
Wr | Wheel rim details | code |
Wt | Tyre details | code |
w | Width | dimension |
Back to top of Summary of codes | Back to Contents |
A BikeCode is made up of four components:
Within each component, individual codes are separated by spaces (the exception being the "clusters" that occur at the start of the bike and trailer descriptions, which are run into one "giant" code).
Each component starts on a new line.
The description components should all be indented by the same amount relative to the BikeCode header - either two or four spaces are recommended.
If an individual component needs to be split over multiple lines (typically, one should not use more than 72 characters per line), then the split should happen between codes, and the continuation line(s) should be indented (the same amount) relative to the first line of the component (basically, this makes things look prettier).
So one might have:
BikeCode0.2 P: person-data; B1: bike1-data bike1-data-continued; B2: bike2-data;
Back to top of General rules | Back to Contents |
One can, of course, just provide the code as is - for example:
BikeCode0.2 P: [AlfredJarry] ob T* B10..12 n1873 h1.25m H--:-- B: 2O
Another alternative is to use a "code block" (rather like people use for PGP signatures). A comment line is an optional extra:
----- Begin BikeCodeblock ----------- Comment: See http://www.tibsnjoan.co.uk/bikecode.html BikeCode0.2 P: [AlfredJarry] ob T* B10..12 n1873 h1.25m H--:-- B: 2O ----- End BikeCodeblock -------------
Using email message headers is another alternative:
X-BikeCode-version: 0.2 X-BikeCode-URL: http://www.tibsnjoan.co.uk/bikecode.html X-BikeCode-Part1: P: [AlfredJarry] ob T* B10..12 n1873 h1.25m H--:-- X-BikeCode-Part2: B: 2O
Note that in this case each description component of the BikeCode is
represented as an X-BikeCode-Part
n line. As an
arbitrary restriction, you can only have up to 9 description components in
an email message header BikeCode (surely enough!).
If the X-BikeCode-Part
n lines are too long and need to
be split, do so at whitespace (as normal), and follow the appropriate laws of
email headers, which I leave to you and your email software to figure out.
Also, beware that some mail readers (notably, the Outlook "family" from Microsoft) will refuse to make any "non-standard" (whatever that means in a Microsoft context) header lines visible.
Back to top of General rules | Back to Contents |
Like all of these codes, we are assembling a cryptic collection of symbols to encode a lot of information in a short space. Why we're doing this is open to various interpretations, but I think the phrase "bloody minded" has to come in there somewhere.
Choices are presented in tabular form. If the appropriate code is one that is required (for instance, number of wheels on a bike), then it will look like this:
Compulsory -- Number of wheels | |
---|---|
1 | Unicycle |
2 | Bicycle |
3 | Tricycle |
4 | Quadricycle |
other | Larger numbers seem unlikely, but if you need one... |
If the code is optional (for instance, inside leg measurement), then it will look like this:
Optional -- Inside leg measurement | |
---|---|
i a in | Inside leg in inches |
i a.b cm | Inside leg in centimetres |
Note that in both cases "meta" information (i.e., things you have to fill in) are emphasised.
Also, attempting to present items in a compulsory or optional table in a clear manner might mean that some of the parts of a code are separated by spaces - for instance:
Optional -- Distance ridden | |
---|---|
D type n | Distance for type of ride type |
Despite this, in use no spaces would be present (so one would have Dc3km, not D c 3km)
Examples are presented as follows:
Example -- Inside leg | |
---|---|
i27in | Short legs |
i35in | Long legs |
Back to top of Overview | Back to Contents |
Sequences (of numbers, or whatever) are indicated by separating the individual items by commas (,), with no intervening spaces.
Ranges are indicated by separating the extremes of the range by two dots (..), again with no intervening spaces (whilst a hyphen (-) might seem more usual, this wouldn't be very obvious if our range were (for instance) between + and -).
Alternatives are separated by a colon (:), again with no intervening spaces (but note that a colon is also used to separate different facets of an opinion).
Specifying ranges, etc. | |
---|---|
1,2,5 | The sequence 1, 2 and 5 |
1..3 | The range 1 to 3 |
1..3,5 | The range 1 to 3 and 5 |
1:3 | Either 1 or 3 |
Back to top of Overview | Back to Contents |
Some codes indicate a "strength of feeling" (or "opinion"). Whilst the characters used for each code are specified with that code, the following are quite commonly found:
Strength of feeling | |
---|---|
-- | No way, never, no how |
- | Not really, no, not very |
No particular opinion | |
+ | Definitely, yes |
++ | Extremely so, oh yes, oh yes! |
0 | Never (nb: that's a zero) |
~ | Not sure |
? | Don't know |
# | Not saying, MYOB |
The last three of those are always valid, even if not explicitly mentioned.
Note that in some opinion codes, the absence of the option is not the same as "No particular opinion" (which is normally the default). Such cases should explain themselves as appropriate.
If two versions of an opinion are to be declared, they are generally separated with a semi-colon - for example, ~:?.
Back to top of Overview | Back to Contents |
Some codes need to indicate a "position". These use the following position characters:
Position | |
---|---|
f | Front |
b | Back |
l | Left |
r | Right |
m | Middle |
u | Under |
If more than one position character is to be used, they should be strung together, without spaces, in the order given - for example, fl or fblr. Context determines whether fl means "front left" or "front and left"...
Back to top of Overview | Back to Contents |
To identify that this is the Bike code we are talking about (rather than any of the other similar cryptic collections of ...), we start off with:
Compulsory -- BikeCode header | |
---|---|
BikeCode version | Identify this as a Bike Code |
BikeCode version -- url | Alternative form, with URL for its definition |
where version is the version of the BikeCode we can use to produce and possibly interpret the result, and url is a URL for a page explaining the BikeCode (for instance, http://www.tibsnjoan.co.uk/bikecode.html).
(If anyone wants to keep a mirror of this page, then feel free, and in that case a different URL might be appropriate.)
By the way, that's a space, two dashs ("-" and "-") and a space before the URL
Example -- BikeCode header | |
---|---|
BikeCode0.2 | Version 0.2 of the BikeCode |
BikeCode0.2 -- http://www.tibsnjoan.co.uk/bikecode.html | The same thing |
Back to top of The BikeCode header | Back to Contents |
The first section of the bike code refers to the actual cyclist themselves. It may be omitted if you do not wish to describe yourself, or if you are (for instance) providing information about a type of bike (e.g., to describe its characteristics).
Each person description starts with a label.
Compulsory -- Bike header | |
---|---|
P : | The one person being described |
P number : | One of several people being described (the numbers start at 1 and ascend). |
(For pedants reading ahead, there is no p label, since coding "the person you would like to be" (or, worse, have) is too silly even for me.)
If used, the numbers start at 1 and increase monotonically.
If you are describing several people (for instance, yourself and your partner), the numbers can be used to disambiguate them, which is especially useful if you have several bikes and want to indicate who ride them. The actual order of the numbers is taken to be meaningless (this is called "tact").
Example -- Person header | |
---|---|
P: | One person - probably me |
P2: | Another person - probably someone else |
Sometimes, the most useful thing you can say about a person is what they're called:
Optional -- Name | |
---|---|
[ name ] | The name of the person |
Ideally, this should be kept to a single "word", possibly by removing spaces:
Example -- Name | |
---|---|
P1: [Tibs] | Me |
P2: [JoanPaterson] | My partner |
If you are referred to by more than one name, you'll have to decide which name you want to use.
Back to top of Per Person | Back to Contents |
If you never learnt to drive (or perhaps one should allow "never passed a driving test"), then you are an "obligate" cyclist and can start your "personal" string off with ob.
Optional -- Obligate | |
---|---|
ob | Obligate cyclist |
What type of cycling you do comes next.
Compulsory -- Type of cycling | |
---|---|
T c | Commuting |
T l | Leisure |
T t | Touring |
T x | Exercise (training) |
T r | Racing or time trials (should these be separated?) |
T a | Audax or similar |
T * | Cycling is your main means of transportation |
T i | Ice |
T s | Snow |
T o | Offroad |
T d | Downhill racing |
T w | Water (presumably via very big tyres or outriggers, or using an HPV boat) |
T f | Flying (presumably an HPV boat aircraft of some form) |
If you reckon more than one of these applies, you can have multiple codes - for instance:
Example -- Type of cycling | |
---|---|
P: Tca | Commuting and Audax |
Next comes your BIG rating (according to David Martin's Theory of BIG)
Compulsory -- BIG rating | |
---|---|
Bn | BIG rating, 0 upwards |
Sometimes it makes sense to use a range (the value may depend on exactly what you're doing or riding). For instance:
Example -- BIG rating | |
---|---|
P: Tca B9 | Road Warrior |
P: Tc B5..8 | Varying from Baldrick to Effective |
It is left as an exercise for the person reading the BikeCode to work out what might lead to the BIG values you're supplying.
If you have a particular long (or short!) commute, or are proud of doing long tours, you may want to indicate the distance you typically do when doing a particular type of ride.
Optional -- Distance cycled | |
---|---|
D type dist | Distance for type of ride type |
The type is one of the cycling types used with the T code, and dist is a distance in either kilometres or miles. If you want to specify more than one distance then use multiple D codes - it gets too confusing to try to string them together.
For instance:
Example -- Distance cycled | |
---|---|
P: Tc Dc10km | A commute of 10km |
P: Tca Dc3.5mi Da200mi | A commute of 3.5 miles, and a double century "audax" style event |
For reference, 1 mile is 1.6093 km, 1 km is 0.6214 miles.
The "Kitchen sink" code is used to indicate how likely you are to be carrying large quantities of stuff that might be useful - for instance, tools, food, liquid, the kitchen sink.
Optional -- Kitchen sink code | |
---|---|
K-- | You might grudgingly carry a credit card and maybe some money |
K- | You try to journey as lightly as possible |
K | You carry what most people would consider a reasonable amount - the basic tools one needs to fix a puncture, tighten a nut, etc., maybe a bottle of water, and so on. |
K+ | You try to cater for most circumstances - it's probably worth asking you for a tool, a spare inner tube or a drink |
K++ | The kitchen sink didn't fit in your panniers, but otherwise you would have brought it |
If you think you're one rating on the kitchen sink factor, but other people disagree, give both with a : between them - for example:
Example -- Kitchen sink code | |
---|---|
P: [Tibs] K:++ | I don't think I carry too much, but my partner is sceptical |
Back to top of Per Person | Back to Contents |
Next we have a variety of personal factors. Some of these are likely to aid people in deciding whether it is worth trying your bike, some are just information that people seem to like to divulge.
Your inside leg measurement allows someone to judge if they might fit on your bike! If your legs are different lengths, the shorter is assumed to be what you are describing, but you can specify both if you prefer:
Optional -- Inside leg | |
---|---|
i size cm | Inside leg in centimetres (the preferred option) |
i left : right cm | Inside leg in centimetres for two differing leg lengths |
i size in | Inside leg in inches |
If one leg is missing, give it a length of "-".
Example -- Inside leg | |
---|---|
i74cm | Inside leg 74cm |
i29in | Inside leg 29 inches |
i74:78cm | Inside leg 74cm for the left leg, 78cm for the right. |
i74:-cm | Inside leg 74cm for the left leg, other leg missing. |
For reference, 1 inch is 2.54cm, 1cm is 0.3937 inches.
Another factor in sizing bikes is the user's height.
Optional -- User's height | |
---|---|
h size m | Height in metres |
h feet' | Height in feet |
h feet' inches" | Height in feet and inches |
Example -- User's height | |
---|---|
h1.7m | 1.7m tall |
h5'3" | 5 feet and 3 inches |
For reference, 1 foot is 0.3048 m, 1 m is 3.2808 feet (or about 3'3").
Weight (or mass, since I want to reserve "w") can also sometimes be relevant.
Optional -- User's weight | |
---|---|
m size kg | Mass in kilograms |
m size lb | Mass in pounds |
Example -- User's weight | |
---|---|
m70kg | 70 kilograms |
m154lb | 154 pounds |
UK users might prefer stones, and I nearly allowed that as well (1 stone is 14lb, so both the examples are about 11 stone), but two units already is more than enough.
For reference, 1 pound is 0.4536 kg, 1 kg is 2.2046 lb.
I wondered about whether to include gender or not, but in the end decided that I should, since some people might want it.
Optional -- Gender | |
---|---|
g M | Male |
g F | Female |
g O | Other - see the Androgyny RAQ, and particularly Not this, not that |
The limited possibilities here (as compared to most of the other "thing codes") is because I can't help feeling this is a highly marginal label for our purposes - but if we're going to allow personal information at all, I guess it needs including.
Do note, by the way, that this is the gender/sex you are declaring - if you're transexual, transvestite or otherwise doing something complex with your self-image then it's your own business what you use this label for.
Ok - date of birth. If you're 97 and want to boast about how fit you still are, then this is the way to do it.
Optional -- Date of birth | |
---|---|
n year | Born (date of Nativity) in this year |
You don't have to be exact - thus:
Example -- Date of birth | |
---|---|
n1902 | Born in 1902 |
n196* | Born in 1960-something |
Back to top of Per Person | Back to Contents |
Optional -- Fitness level | |
---|---|
F -- | I can barely climb the stairs |
F - | Needs more excercise |
F ~ | Just your normal person |
F + | Pretty fit |
F ++ | Whizzes past your Windcheetah on their Pashley Princess... |
F # | No comment |
F ? | It's not something I worry about |
Some people seem to regard their heart rate as an essential measure of fitness:
Optional -- Heart rate (pulse) | |
---|---|
p type rate | Pulse rate you aim for when riding |
As before, the type is one of the types of riding specified for T above. I've no idea what sensible values for this are, but here is an example of use:
Example -- Heart rate (pulse) | |
---|---|
pr100 | Aiming for a heart rate of 100 when racing |
One important concept not addressed so far is that of whether the cyclist has an Aerobelly. As discussed in the past on the HPV list, this can make all the difference to streamlining on a recumbent.
Optional -- Aerobelly | |
---|---|
Aero | Aerobelly present and accounted for |
It's not entirely clear to me whether cadence should be a personal thing, or a bike-specific thing (since one person may have different pedalling-rates on different machines). For now, we'll put it here:
Optional -- Cadence | |
---|---|
c cadence | Specifies the number of pedal revolutions per minute. A range may be used if necessary. |
One of the more difficult things to do, which can be useful, is to trackstand:
Optional -- Balance | |
---|---|
trk++ | Can trackstand |
trk+ | Can trackstand in that sort of wobbly, irritating manner some cyclists use |
trk- | No, I'm not interested in this sort of showing off |
trk-- | Heh, one of the reasons I chose a trike was so I wouldn't have to balance! |
Trackstanding on two-wheel recumbents is, in general, assumed to be pretty street-cred (if recumbents themselves can be considered such). Trackstanding on an ordinary would be awesome. Trackstanding on a unicycle rather goes with the territory...
Back to top of Per Person | Back to Contents |
The next few items are more to do with personal opinion than anything else (and are thus potential causes of flame wars, so it is perhaps worth expressing one's opinion up front - or perhaps not...).
Some people have strong views on helmet wearing. This code allows people to indicate whether or not they wear a helmet, and where they stand on what other people do or do not do.
Optional -- Helmets | |
---|---|
H a : b | Giving what one does (a) and what one thinks other people should do (b) |
H a | Is equivalent to Ha:# |
Specifically, a is understood as follows:
Optional -- Helmet details | |
---|---|
+ | I always wear a helmet |
- | I never wear a helmet |
~ | I sometimes wear a helmet |
# | Whether or not I wear a helmet is my own business |
@ | This is a moot question, as I wear a turban at all times for religious/cultural reasons |
and b is analogously interpreted as:
Optional -- Helmets | |
---|---|
+ | I think other people should always wear a helmet |
- | I think other people should never wear a helmet |
~ | I think other people should decide for themselves |
? | I'm not sure what I think about other people and helmets |
# | My opinion on other people wearing helmets is my own business |
Examples of using this might be:
Example -- Helmets 2 | |
---|---|
H+:~ | My own position |
H+:+ | Someone I would disagree with |
There have also been strong opinions expressed on the HPV list about the merits of Presta versus Schraeder values on tyres. If you have a religious conviction over this, you can express it as follows:
Optional -- Valves | |
---|---|
v P | Only Presta users are sane/clean/safe |
v S | Only Schraeder users are sane/clean/safe |
v W | Heh, I'm a Woods valve proponent and proud of it |
v ~ | Man, it's like a wheel thing, stay cool and take it as it comes... |
If I had to express a view, I would use
Example -- Valves | |
---|---|
v~ | I'll take the rims as they come |
Nearly as contentious is how one lubricates one's chain:
Optional -- Lubricating chains | |
---|---|
O x | I melt paraffin wax and soak the chain in it |
O o | Oil |
O @ | Oil, with a proper cycle of chain in use, chain dripping, chain soaking, ... |
O 4 | WD-40 (we all know you shouldn't do that, don't we?) |
O w | White Lightning or similar |
O p | ProLink or similar |
O m | Other modern lubes, not one of the above |
O [name] | Another specific lubricant |
O ~ | Whatever is to hand |
O h | I homebrew my own concoction |
O ? | You mean I should lubricate my chain? |
O # | My own business |
(If anyone is really fussed about this and uses separate methods on different bikes, they can specify this per bike instead.)
Clothing seems to be one of those things that determine people's opinions of cyclists, so it can be useful to specify one's attitude, particular with respect to lycra...
Optional -- Clothing/Lycra | |
---|---|
L 0 | I wear normal clothes when cycling |
L -- | Any cyclist wearing lycra is obsessed with going fast and doubtless jumps lights and other such antisocial stuff |
L - | I wouldn't wear lycra if you paid me |
L | I wear specialist cycling clothes, and that might include lycra, but I can't say I'm fussed |
L + | I wear lycra, but just because it makes sense |
L ++ | I wouldn't dream of riding without full team Telcom replica bodysuits and believe there should be a weight limit on the clothing one wears in public |
And I suppose that sort of leads to an "advocacy" level:
Optional -- Advocacy | |
---|---|
A-- | Damn cyclists slow me down in my SUV |
A- | Bikes belong on the sidewalks or trails |
A | Bikes are OK, but I don't see the point in advocacy |
A+ | I belong to advocacy organizations |
A++ | Bikes are my life, and I'll make them yours too! |
Particularly in the USA, some people have an "EC" number (Effective Cycling Instructor, I think), indicating that they are certified to teach cycling under this scheme. They can specify this, if they wish, using:
Optional -- EC number | |
---|---|
EC number | As described above. |
Back to top of Per Person | Back to Contents |
One of the things many people find attractive about bikes (over other means of transport) is the ability to fiddle with them. The next few items look at that.
First come maintenance skills. The ranking here is slightly skewed to assume people like the readers of the HPV list (so "normal" people might find they centre around M- rather then M, and the descriptions definitely still need working on.
General maintenance ability:
Optional -- General maintenance | |
---|---|
M ++ | I can do just about everything, up to building a bike from the bits in my garage |
M + | I can do just about everything, but some major tasks still get done by the LBS |
M | I can do most normal maintenance tasks, but not the more difficult things (spokes, bottom brackets, etc.) |
M - | I can do simple things (fix punctures, lubricate the chain, etc.) |
M -- | I can't do maintenance at all |
M 0 | No way - I have a partner (and/or bike shop) to do that sort of thing |
(If you build wheels for relaxation, then I think you get slotted into M++ regardless.)
If that isn't precise enough for you, there are some related codes:
Number of tools ("packrat points"):
Optional -- Number of tools/Packrat points | |
---|---|
Mp +++ | Sheldon Brown calls me when he needs something out of the ordinary |
Mp ++ | I've got a full workshop setup that'll cope with just about everything |
Mp + | I've got most tools you'd need to work on a bike |
Mp | I have an adequate collection for normal purposes |
Mp - | I guess I'll have to buy something as I find I need it |
Mp -- | Tools, what are tools? |
Number of components/bits you have:
Optional -- Number of bits | |
---|---|
Mb +++ | The shop calls me when they need something out of the ordinary |
Mb ++ | I can build a complete bike from stuff lying around the house |
Mb + | I've got a complete selection of spare parts for my bikes, plus other useful stuff |
Mb | I have an adequate collection for normal purposes |
Mb - | I guess I'll have to buy something as I find I need it |
Mb -- | Spares? The what? |
Mb 0 | My neighbour has parts - I'll borrow |
Imagination (the ability to mend stuff with improvised tools and resources):
Optional -- Maintenance improvisation | |
---|---|
Mi +++ | I can build a bike from the bits in your garage, and you don't even have a bike... |
Mi ++ | If stranded, I'll manage to come up with some way of repairing things, even if it looks impossible |
Mi + | If stranded I'm quite likely to be able to improvise something, especially given a Coke can and some string... |
Mi | I'll have a go if I have to |
Mi - | I don't seem to have the knack of improvising in an emergency |
Mi -- | Imagination? I don't have one. |
Mi 0 | I have no interest in improvised fixes or tools |
For those who are more ambitious, welding seems to be a necessary skill.
Optional -- Welding | |
---|---|
W++ | Probably builds bikes for a living |
W+ | Knows how to weld and isn't scared to do it |
W | Went on a welding course, or has done some welding |
W- | Knows there's welding on their bike (but might be wrong) |
W0 | Not interested in welding at all |
So far as I'm concerned, brazing and other like arts might as well be welding, so use your discretion.
Retro grouch points can be an important indicator to the style of one's approach to cycling:
Optional -- Retrogrouch points | |
---|---|
Rg ++ | Safety bike? that's too modern, I'll stick to my ordinary |
Rg + | Derailleurs are a route to ruin |
Rg | I prefer tried and true solutions, even if the components can be hard to get hold of |
Rg - | I think, on the whole, I prefer modern components |
Rg -- | I traded the bike in, it's last years color |
(Sam Holliman suggests that the alternative term PartsWeenie is defined as 1/RetroGrouch.)
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Lastly in this section, some people use a motor vehicle to transport their bike(s), and there's been some discussion of what is used for this purpose on the HPV list recently. This is the Van code.
Optional -- Van code | |
---|---|
V v | A van (!) |
V c | A car (when the bike goes inside) |
V p | A people mover (Renault Espace, Megane Scenic, Ford Galaxy, etc.). I'm not sure what these are termed in the USA. |
V r | A roofrack (on a car, or whatever) |
V h | A converted horsebox (just for Dave Larrington) |
V t | A trailer |
V suv | An SUV - heh, if you have one of these, you don't need no small abbreviations... |
V ? | Whatever I can bum a lift in |
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Presumably you have one or more bikes, and want to present some information about it or them. This is done via the "per bike" or "bike description" codes.
Each bike description starts with a label.
Compulsory -- Bike header | |
---|---|
B : | The one bike being described |
B number : | One of several bikes being described (the numbers start at 1 and ascend). |
b : | A bike you'd like to have |
b number : | One of several bikes you'd like to have |
If used, the numbers start at 1 and increase monotonically.
If you have several bikes, the numbers can be used to disambiguate them, which is especially useful if you have a trailer and want to indicate which bikes it is used with. Otherwise, the order of the numbers is taken to be meaningless (so bike 2 is not necessarily less important in your life than bike 1).
If you list several bikes that you'd like to have, the numbers are an indication of the order in which you'd get them (given a perfect world), with b1 being the bike you'd acquire first.
Example -- Bike header | |
---|---|
B: | I only have one bike - this is it |
B2: | This is my second bike |
b5: | This is the fifth bike on my "wants list", but I'd get the other four first... |
Sometimes, the most useful thing you can say about your bike is what make it is.
Optional -- Bike make | |
---|---|
[ make ] | The make of the bike |
Ideally, this should be kept to a single "word", possibly by removing spaces:
Example -- Bike make | |
---|---|
B: [Trek] | Perhaps not a lot of information |
B1: [RansScreamer] | Losing the space between "Rans" and "Screamer" |
If the bike is currently in a non-working state, then you need
Optional -- Broken bike | |
---|---|
brk | This is a broken bike. It is not working. It is pining for the fjords. (sorry, wrong newsgroup) |
brk [detail] | The same, but with some commentary |
Back to top of Per Bike | Back to Contents |
We now start a "cluster" of qualifiers which provide the basic description of the bike. These should occur in the order described, and should not have spaces between them.
Perhaps the most important thing about a bike is how many wheels it has. Note that for a tricycle we care about how the wheels are arranged (that's because I have a tricycle, and I care!):
Compulsory -- Number of wheels | |
---|---|
0 | Fitness cycle (it isn't going anywhere, so any wheels it might have don't count) |
1 | Unicycle |
2 | Bicycle |
3 d | Delta tricycle - two wheels at the rear |
3 t | Tadpole tricycle - two wheels at the front |
3 s | This is probably a very old tricycle, but it has two wheels on one side, and one on the other |
4 | Quadricycle |
other | Larger numbers seem unlikely, but if you need one... |
If you have an icebike with one driven wheel and two skids, then "pretend" the skids are wheels for this purpose, and describe it as if it were a trike (and, if you like, use the WrS notation to show which "wheels" are not).
If you have fixed gears, use:
Optional -- Fixed | |
---|---|
F | Fixed gears |
Examples are:
Example -- Number of wheels | |
---|---|
B: 2F | Sounds reasonable |
B: 1F | Almost goes without saying |
B: 2FRuBs | If you're reading ahead, you'll guess this is fairly unlikely |
B: 3tFRu | A banana trike? |
The "tandemness" (or sociability) indicates the number of riders. Note that this is compulsory for tandems/sociables, but there's nothing to say for "singletons".
Compulsory if applicable -- Tandemness | |
---|---|
2 | A tandem with two riders, one behind the other |
2 r | A tandem as above, but the rear rider is facing backwards (reversed) |
count | A "tandem" for count riders, riding one behind the other |
2 s | A sociable - two riders next to each other |
count s | A "sociable" for count riders, riding next to each other (in some fashion) |
If it's not a tandem, don't say anything |
Thus, for example:
Example -- Tandemness | |
---|---|
B: 23S | A "tandem" for three people - the Goodies? |
B: 22rR | Might be a Flevo back-to-back tandem |
B: 22sR | Might be a Gem sociable |
B: 37sS | Would describe the Conferencebike 7 person sociable |
One important thing we haven't discussed yet is the "style" of the bike.
Compulsory -- Bike style | |
---|---|
R rinfo | A recumbent |
P | A Pedersen (i.e., very unrecumbent!) |
M | A Moulton |
O | An Ordinary. |
S | A Safety bike (DF, hybrid, mountain bike, whatever - sometimes called an "upright"), including an upright trike, etc. |
S [ info ] | A Safety bike with a bit more information specified - e.g., S[MTB] or S[Hybrid]. |
U | No seat, so for instance Ultimate wheels would be 1U, and scooters (kickbikes, whatever) 2U |
/ | A row bike (e.g., see RowBike ) |
Example -- Bike style | |
---|---|
B: 2O | An ordinary |
B: [Trek700] 2S[Hybrid] | A safety bike |
Recumbents are normally expected to be annotated with more information (as in the R style above) - add whichever of the following seem relevant (in the order given):
Compulsory if applicable -- Recumbent info | |
---|---|
o | OSS (over seat steering) |
u | USS (under seat steering) |
l | A "lowrider" (we'll assume for now that means you can touch the ground with the palm of your hand when sitting on the machine). |
B l | Long wheelbase |
B c | Compact long wheelbase |
B s | Short wheelbase |
Example -- Recumbent info | |
---|---|
B: 2RoBl | A long wheelbase recumbent with over seat steering |
B: 3tRl | A tadpole recumbent lowrider trike |
If the bike is hand or treddle powered, then the style can be augmented with a code to indicate that:
Compulsory if applicable -- Hand powered | |
---|---|
h | A hand powered cycle (as opposed to pedals). |
hf | A hand and foot powered cycle. |
t | A treddle operated bike (e.g., see Step 'n Go) |
Example -- Hand powered | |
---|---|
B: 3tRlhf | A hand and foot powered tadpole recumbent lowrider trike |
Some tandems have more than one style (for example the Pino). This should be specified by concatenating the various styles, starting at the front of the bike and working backwards. For instance:
Example -- Bike style | |
---|---|
B: [Pino] 22RS | a Pino tandem |
B: 3t2RuRh | A tandem tadpole recumbent trike, with the "stoker" having hand cranks |
That's the end of the basic descripton cluster for a bike. It's now back to spaces between individual codes...
Back to top of Per Bike | Back to Contents |
Sometimes it may be useful to indicate who uses the bike, and for what purpose or purposes it is principally used:
Optional -- Use | |
---|---|
U person type | Where person is the person description number and type is one of the cycling types from the personal T code. |
U [ name ] type | Where the named person uses the bike for the given type of cycling |
U type | Can be used if only one person has been described |
If more than one person uses the bike, specify a U code for each of them. If they use it for more than one purpose, just add all the type codes to the same U code. If the bike is essentially unused (for instance, like the Trek hybrid I have in our shed) then a type of ~ can be specified. Note that if the brk code is specified for the bike, then U~ is assumed.
Example -- Use | |
---|---|
Uc | I use this bike for commuting |
U~ | I don't use this bike |
U[Joan]c | Joan uses this bike for commutin |
U1ra U2ra | Person 1 uses this bike for racing and Audax, and so does person 2 |
Back to top of Per Bike | Back to Contents |
Next we have (optional) dimension specifications. For simplicity (both of comparison, and of notation) I'm requiring metric units here...
Length can be of interest, especially for long wheel base recumbents, or for tandems.
Optional -- Length of bike | |
---|---|
l length | Length in metres |
Width can be very important as well (for instance, it is crucial to me on my AnthroTech, which is rather too wide for some access points in Cambridge).
Optional -- Width of bike | |
---|---|
w size | Width in metres |
For reference, 1 foot is 0.3048 m, 1 m is 3.2808 feet (or about 3'3").
Weight can also sometimes be relevant.
Optional -- Weight (mass) of bike | |
---|---|
m size | Mass (well, in practice, weight) in kilograms |
m tfh | Simply too heavy |
For reference, 1 pound is 0.4536 kg, 1 kg is 2.2046 lb.
Thus, for example:
Example -- Bike dimensions | |
---|---|
l1.74 w0.93 m22 | Is (more or less) my AnthroTech |
l2.4 w0.6 mtfh | Is Dave Larrington's KingCycle |
Back to top of Per Bike | Back to Contents |
Next come some optional technical specifications.
Most bikes steer with the front wheel or wheels, but there are exceptions:
Optional -- Steering | |
---|---|
s f | Front wheel(s) steer (the default) |
s b | Back wheel(s) steer |
s l | Left wheel(s) steer |
s r | Right wheel(s) steer |
s / | Lean steering |
Note that a standard upright counts as sf, not as s/.
Similarly, most bikes have the rear wheel driven, but there are exceptions to this as well.
Optional -- Driven wheels | |
---|---|
d position | Which wheels are driven |
For example:
Optional -- Driven wheels | |
---|---|
db | Back wheel(s) driven (the default) |
df | Front wheel(s) driven |
dbl | Just the back left wheel driven (is that a KettWiesel?) |
dl | The left wheel(s) are driven (unusual!) |
What the bike frame is (principally) constructed from may be something you want to boast about:
Optional -- Frame material | |
---|---|
fm C | Carbon fibre |
fm A | Aluminium |
fm S | Steel |
fm I | Cast iron (!) |
fm T | Titanium |
fm P | Plastic |
fm [ material ] | Something else |
If your bike frame is made of cast iron, then you may also want to specify mtfh.
Wheel and tyre sizes can be useful to know.
For simplicity (and lack of ambiguity) we'll use the ISO specifications to describe their size (see Sheldon Brown's Tire sizing/The ISO/ETRTO System for an explanation of what I mean). The only time sizes should be given in inches or centimetres is for historical vehicles (for instance, I doubt there's a sensible ISO size for an ordinary's high wheel...).
Wheels are sized by specifying their rim dimensions:
Optional -- Wheel rim details | |
---|---|
Wr spec | All rims the same |
Wr position spec : spec | The specification for a particular wheel's rim |
Where spec is one of the following:
Optional -- Rim and tyre details | |
---|---|
diam | Diameter of bead seat of rim, in mm |
width - diam | Width of rim in mm, followed by the diameter etc |
diam [ make ] | As above, but annotated with the make of the rim |
width - diam [ make ] | As above, but annotated with the make of the rim |
S | the "wheel" is actually a skid or runner, as on an ice-bike |
diam " | Diameter of wheel, in inches, for a historical bike |
diam1 ' diam2 " | Diameter of wheel, in feet and inches, for a historical bike |
diam cm | Diameter of wheel, in centimetres, for a historical bike |
Tyre sizes are specified in a similar manner:
Optional -- Tyre details | |
---|---|
Wt spec | All tyres the same |
Wt position spec : spec | The specification for a particular wheel's tyre |
The spec is interpreted as for wheel rims (above), except that the word "rim" should be replaced by "tyre".
For example:
Example -- Wheel size | |
---|---|
Wr19-406[Alesa] | The rims on my AnthroTech (the same on all three axles) |
Wt32-406[SchwalbeCityMarathon] | The original setup on my AnthroTech |
Wtf406[Nokian] | The front tyres are now Nokian, and I can't remember the details... |
Wrl50" Wrr24" | A Coventry Rotary Tricycle has one large wheel on the left and two smaller wheels on the right |
Wrl4'2" Wrr2' | The same, in feet and inches |
Some people swear by mudguards (fenders for USA readers) and some just like to have that dirty streak down their back (or, for recumbent trike riders, grit in their teeth).
Optional -- Mudguards | |
---|---|
M position | Mudguards on wheels at the indicated locations |
For example:
Example -- Mudguards | |
---|---|
Mfb | Mudguards on front and back wheels |
Mf | Mudguards on front wheel(s) only |
Mfl | Mudguard on the front left wheel only (!) |
Some people express preferences about saddles/seats. The following possibilities are listed (note some make sense for recumbents, some for uprights):
Optional -- Saddle/seat | |
---|---|
S / | Generic recumbent seat |
S /# | Generic mesh recumbent seat |
S // | Generic moulded recumbent seat |
S | | Generic upright saddle |
S r | Rans seat |
S b | Brooks saddle |
S Af | AnthroTech folding seat option (guess what I have) |
S t | Terry saddle |
S o | One of those saddles with a hole in the middle |
S [ name ] | A specific saddle/seat |
If you have a tandem or other machine with multiple seats, then you can specify multiple values, but put the person with the steering first.
Example -- Saddle/seat | |
---|---|
SAf | My AnthroTech |
S|/ | A Pino |
If you like, you can specify what sort of pedals are fitted in a similar manner:
Optional -- Pedals | |
---|---|
p C | Clipless pedals |
p C [ type ] | Clipless pedals with the type specified |
p T | Toeclips |
p P | PowerGrips (is that the right name?) |
Again, if you have a tandem or other machine with multiple pedal sets, then you can specify multiple values, but put the person with the steering first.
Example -- Pedals | |
---|---|
pC[spd] | A bike with SPD clipless pedals |
pTC | That Pino again |
Brakes are another thing some people want to specify:
Optional -- Brakes | |
---|---|
b front : rear | Front and rear brakes |
b front | Front brakes only |
b : rear | Rear brakes only |
front and rear are each specified using one of the following forms:
Optional -- Brake specifications | |
---|---|
type | Just by type |
type h | Type is hydraulically activated |
type [ text ] | Type and make |
type h [ text ] | Type, hydraulics and make |
The brake type is then one of the following codes:
Optional -- Brake types | |
---|---|
D | Disk brakes |
H | Hub brakes |
V | V brakes |
C | Cantilever brakes |
^ | Centrepull brakes |
S | Sidepull brakes |
@ | Backpedal brakes (i.e., on rear hub) |
0 | No brakes |
For instance:
Example -- Brakes | |
---|---|
B: 3tRu bDh[Sachs]:C | My AnthroTech has hydraulically activated Sachs disk brakes on the front, caliper brakes on the back (assumed to be wire operated) |
B: 2FS bV:0 | A fixed gear bike with no rear brake |
If you really want to specify gearing (other than the F annotation already mentioned in the Basic description cluster) then you can use the following components to make up a description:
Optional -- Gears | |
---|---|
G spec | Gearing specification |
where spec is composed by concatenating the following as needed:
Optional -- Gear specification | |
---|---|
M | Start with this if you have a Schlumpf mountain drive at the front |
gears | The number of gears on the first cog |
+ gears | The number of gears on the next cog (progressing backwards) |
etc | |
hub x gears | The number of gears on a mixed hub/derailleur gearing setup - e.g. Sachs 3x7 would be G3x7 |
Thus one might have:
Example -- Gears | |
---|---|
G3+7 | 3 cogs at the front, 7 at the back |
G3+2+7 | As above, but with 2 cogs in an intermediate drive |
G2+3x7 | 2 cogs at the front, and a 3x7 drive at the back |
GM3x7 | A mountain drive at the front, and a 3x7 drive at the back |
As mentioned in the Per Person section, if you want to specify lubrication but use different means on different bikes, you can specify it per bike. Just use the same lubrication code described there (i.e., code O).
Some machines come with power assist. We wouldn't want to ignore that:
Optional -- Power assist | |
---|---|
P e | Electrical power assist |
P p | Petrol or diesel motor power assist |
P s | Solar power assist (comparatively rare) |
P r | Rocket power assist (comparatively rare) |
P j | Jet power assist (comparatively rare) |
P [details] | Something that needs more explanation |
Different people care for different amounts of electronics on their bikes, things as diverse as speed measurement, cadence counter, heart rate monitor, thermometer, inclinometer, altimeter, GPS, moving map, satellite earth station equipment, and so on. The default position is to admit that electricity is useful for lights, either by battery or dynamo.
Optional -- Electronics | |
---|---|
E -- | Even my lights are acetylene powered... |
E - | I don't like electronic gadgets, they take away from the "human powered" experience |
E + | OK, I admit I find a cycling computer useful for speed/distance/etc. |
E ++ | The main problem is fitting everything on the bike... |
E +++ | The BEHEMOTH |
If your machine is homebuilt, you might want to indicate this:
Optional -- Homebuilt | |
---|---|
HB | Homebuilt, and you built it |
Hb | Homebuilt, but by someone else |
Hc | Custom built (i.e., homebuilt by someone else who is a professional bike builder or equivalent, to contract) |
HB ridable | As above, but with indication of its current usefulness |
Hb ridable | As above, but with indication of its current usefulness |
where ridable is a measure of how rideable the machine currently is (or, if you like, how far it has progressed in the direction of "finished"). This has values:
Optional -- Homebuilt | |
---|---|
-- | Well, some of the bits are attached to other bits |
- | It's just about rideable, with care |
+ | It's working but I still have lots of plans for it |
++ | It's as near finished as homebuilt ever gets |
[ detail ] | Short text with details - as normal, try to avoid spaces |
Fairings can obviously be rather important, particularly on recumbents. Fairings are specified as follows:
Optional -- Fairings | |
---|---|
( info | Front fairing |
info ) | Rear fairing |
( info ) | Fully faired |
where info may be nothing (that is, absent), or it may be composed of any of:
Example -- Fairings | |
---|---|
([Zipper] | A Zipper front fairing |
() | Fully faired |
Lbbx) | Rear fairing that is also a luggage box, as on a Trice |
( Lbbx) | A front fairing, and a rear fairing with luggage box integral |
(HBLbbx) | Homebuilt full fairing with luggage capacity at the back |
Suspension is useful on some bikes. An 8 is used to indicate this, since "it looks a bit like a spring", followed by one or more of the following codes:
Optional -- Suspension | |
---|---|
f | Front suspension at the wheel |
b | Rear suspension at the wheel |
s | Suspended seat (e.g., PDQ, AnthroTech) |
h | Suspended handlebars (e.g. FlexStem) |
m | Suspended in the middle (e.g. Flevo back-to-back tandem) |
So, for example:
Example -- Suspension | |
---|---|
8fb | Full suspension (e.g. downhill MTB) |
8sh | "Comfort Bike" with suspended seat post and FlexStem |
8f | Boingy forks only |
8b | Challenge Hurricane |
Back to top of Per Bike | Back to Contents |
Bikes are often used to transport stuff, as well as people. How one attaches said stuff can be of interest:
Optional -- Luggage | |
---|---|
L | The bike can carry luggage in an unspecified manner |
L position what | The bike carries luggage in a what, at the given position |
L bs | Storage behind the seat |
what can be any of the following:
Optional -- Luggage mode | |
---|---|
bx | A box |
bk | A basket |
wbk | A wicker basket |
pbk | A plastic basket |
r | Rack(s) |
If you want to add cubic capacity or maximum weight, just append them as appropriate. Units may be:
Optional -- Capacity units | |
---|---|
m3 | Cubic meters |
lb | Pounds |
kg | Kilograms |
B | The German Standard Beer Crate |
So, for example:
Example -- Luggage | |
---|---|
Lrr1B | Describes the capacity of my AnthroTech |
Lrr30kg | Is another take on the same |
Lfbx | A Christiana trike? |
If you habitually use a child seat on the machine, you may want to specify this:
Optional -- Child seat | |
---|---|
C | A child seat (assumes behind you) |
Cf | A child seat mounted in front of you |
Cb | A child seat mounted behind you |
Cfb | Two child seats, one in front and one behind |
Cbb | Two child seats, both behind |
It's also possible to specify the name of the child (or their person number if they have a P code of their own). For instance:
Example -- Visibility | |
---|---|
Cb[Michael] | Michael sits behind me |
Cfb[P1,Michael] | The child described as P1 sits in front of me, and Michael sits behind me |
For some bikes, the "foldingness" is important:
Optional -- Foldingness | |
---|---|
f | The bike folds (e.g., a Linear) |
f+ | The bike is designed as a folding machine (e.g., a Birdy) |
f++ | The bike really folds, that's its main purpose in life (e.g., a Brompton) |
f- | The bike obdurately refuses to even consider changing form into something more convenient (or, "my trike is too long/wide!") |
f-- | even pushing it is a headache! |
fs | The bike has S&S couplings, or similar |
fx | The bike is reasonably quick and easy to dismantle into a usefully compact form by some other means (e.g., PDQ3) |
Note that the above assignations of brand are done by someone who doesn't own any of the machines, so may be wrong...
Flags and other visibility aids can be useful
Optional -- Visibility | |
---|---|
V j | I wear a bright (fluorescent/reflective) jacket |
V / | I wear a Sam Brown belt or equivalent |
V f | I have a flag |
V s | I have a spinner (e.g., see Catch the Wind) |
V * | I have a strobe (on a pole or not) |
V ! | I have very bright lights attached to my bike (other than strobes) |
V b | I have generally bright things on my bike |
V c | My bike is a very obvious colour (e.g., luminous orange) |
V n [ text ] | The bike has a notice on it (at the back) of some sort, and here is the text |
V X | In season, I have Christmas lights |
V ? | I'm generally weird and obvious anyway |
V - | I have a stealth bike - it's deliberately not visible |
If more than one visibility aid applies, string them together as one code:
Example -- Visibility | |
---|---|
Vis | A spinner on an illuminated pole |
Lastly (or almost so), I believe some people may want to be able to add the following:
Optional -- Redness | |
---|---|
red | The bike is red. |
As we all know, red bikes go faster, so this may be important to know.
Other colours aren't as important, so if you want to specify them, you have to use one of:
Optional -- Bike colour | |
---|---|
col [colour] | The bike's (predominant) colour. |
ral [code:colour] | The bike's (predominant) colour as a RAL code and its description |
Examples would be:
Example -- Bike colour | |
---|---|
red | A red bike |
col[black] | A stealth bike |
ral[5022:MidnightBlue] | My AnthroTech |
The special colours natural and patina are defined for people with homebuilt bikes that are being allowed to find their own colour (as it were). The colour rusty is also allowed...
If the bike is sometimes used as a trailer bike (see Trailer bikes) then you can add the / code as described therein (under Sometimes trailing).
Back to top of Per Bike | Back to Contents |
Quite often, bike owners also have things to pull behind them. I'll call these "trailers" as a generic term (but also see the specific section for trailer bikes). Each trailer gets its own description, as follows...
Each trailer description starts with a label.
Compulsory -- Trailer header | |
---|---|
T : | The one trailer being described |
T number : | One of several trailers being described (the numbers start at 1 and ascend). |
t : | A trailer you'd like to have |
t number : | One of several trailers you'd like to have |
If used, the numbers start at 1 and increase monotonically.
If you have several trailers, the numbers can be used to disambiguate them. The order of the numbers is taken to be meaningless (so trailer 2 is not necessarily less important in your life than trailer 1).
If you list several trailers that you'd like to have, the numbers are an indication of the order in which you'd get them (given a perfect world), with t1 being the trailer you'd acquire first.
Next, if you like, is:
Optional -- Trailer make | |
---|---|
[ make ] | The make of the trailer |
Ideally, this should be kept to a single "word", possibly by removing spaces:
Example -- Trailer make | |
---|---|
[Burley] | Fairly vague |
[BurleyD'Lite] | Much more specific |
Back to top of Per Trailer | Back to Contents |
We now start a "cluster" of qualifiers which provide the basic description of the trailer. These should occur in the order described, and should not have spaces between them.
First comes the number of wheels.
Compulsory -- Number of wheels | |
---|---|
1 | One wheel |
2 | Two wheels |
If you really have a trailer with other than 1 or 2 wheels, feel free to say so (but note that, again, skids on a sled count as wheels for this purpose).
Then we need to say what type of trailer this is:
Compulsory -- Trailer type | |
---|---|
g | A general purpose trailer |
c | Child trailer |
b | Trailer bike (tagalong, etc). See TB as an alternative notation |
a | Animal transport (dogs, etc.) - not children |
B | Used to transport bikes (so Zach Kaplan would use this) |
H | Absurdly heavy stuff (see Bikes at work for an example of what I mean) |
f | A Bike Friday style "suitcase trailer" |
It can sometimes be useful to specify how many children, bikes or whatever are carried (or can be carried):
Optional -- Carry count | |
---|---|
count | How many "items" are or can be carried |
It can also be useful to include a short (pithy, please) description of the usage.
Optional -- Usage description | |
---|---|
[ text ] | What/who the trailer is used for |
If the trailer is used for children, this should be the name(s) of the child(ren) (or their person number(s) if they have a P code of their own).
For example:
Example -- Basic trailer codes | |
---|---|
2b2 | A U+2. This could also be TB: 2S |
2[drumkit] | Bog standard trailer, specific use |
1H[ladders] | Carrying heavy stuff, particularly ladders (on one wheel!) |
2c2[P1,Michael] | The trailer is used to carry two children, the child described as P1, and Michael |
2c2[Thomas] | The trailer is designed to carry two children, but actually only carries Thomas |
That's the end of the basic descripton cluster for a trailer. It's now back to spaces between individual codes...
Back to top of Per Trailer | Back to Contents |
Next come dimensions. The first three are specified in exactly the same way as is used for bike dimensions...
Optional -- Trailer length | |
---|---|
l size | Length in metres |
Optional -- Trailer width | |
---|---|
w size | Width in metres |
Optional -- Trailer weight | |
---|---|
m size | Mass in kilograms |
For reference, 1 foot is 0.3048 m, 1 m is 3.2808 feet (or about 3'3"), and 1 pound is 0.4536 kg, 1 kg is 2.2046 lb.
Next we have the trailer's capacity (perhaps the most important thing for some trailers). This may be the weight it can carry, or the volume - both can be important.
Optional -- Capacity | |
---|---|
C size kg | Carrying ability in kilograms |
C size lb | Carrying ability in pounds |
C size l | Volume in litres |
C size m3 | Volume in cubic metres |
C size f3 | Volume in cubic feet |
If you want to specify weight and volume, just use two C codes (separated by spaces).
Example -- Capacity | |
---|---|
C32kg | Capacity by weight |
C32kg C0.34m3 | Weight and volume |
Back to top of Per Trailer | Back to Contents |
The homebuilt codes from the bike section can be applied to trailers as well - refer back to the Hb/HB/Hc code description for details.
Similarly, the bike codes for rims, tyres and mudguards can also be used.
Some trailers are designed to fold. This code is similar to that for bikes:
Optional -- Foldingness | |
---|---|
f | The trailer folds |
f+ | The trailer folds well |
f++ | The trailer folds really well (e.g., a Burley D'Lite) |
f- | The trailer obdurately refuses to even consider changing form into something more convenient |
fx | The trailer is reasonably quick and easy to dismantle into a usefully compact form by some other means (but it is disassembly rather than folding) |
Flags and other visibility aids can be useful, and the same options as used for a bike can also be used for a trailer...
For example:
Example -- Visibility | |
---|---|
Vn[long vehicle] | A simple notice |
If more than one visibility aid applies, string them together as one code:
Example -- Visibility | |
---|---|
Vis | A spinner on an illuminated pole |
V*Xn[weird vehicle] | Enough said |
Back to top of Per Trailer | Back to Contents |
Lastly, it is possible to say which bikes you use to pull the trailer (if you only have one bike, we assume that's the one you use).
Optional -- Pulled by | |
---|---|
/ bikes | The bikes that pull this trailer |
This is where the numbers given in the bike labels come in useful - they are what you specify. It is possible to have several bikes pulling the same trailer (presumably not at the same time!) - separate individual numbers with commas (,), and indicate ranges with two dots (..). If all of your bikes might pull the trailer, you can indicate this with an asterisk (*).
For instance:
Example -- Pulled by | |
---|---|
/1 | Pulled by bike 1 |
/1,3 | Pulled by bikes 1 and 3 |
/1,3..5 | Pulled by bikes 1, 3, 4 and 5 |
/* | Pulled by any of my bikes |
Back to top of Per Trailer | Back to Contents |
Trailer bikes are a little bit of an anomaly, particularly since some bikes can be converted between independent and trailer operation.
To specify a bike that is always a trailer bike, specify the bike as a normal bike (remembering to get the number of wheels right!), but using the letter sequence TB (or tb) instead of B (or b) at the start of its label. The numbering sequence for trailer bike labels is independent of that for bikes and that for trailers.
Then, at the end of its code, specify which bike or bikes are used to pull it using the same notation as for normal trailers.
For example:
Example -- Trailer bike | |
---|---|
TB1:[Trailerbent] 1R S/ Hc Vf /1 | Might be the Trailerbent |
TB: 2S | Might be a U+2 |
Back to top of Trailer bikes | Back to Contents |
To specify a bike that is optionally a trailer bike, specify it as normal but at the end of its code add a / code, just as you would for any trailer. Note that this means that the number of wheels when trailing will generally be one less than the number when not trailing...
For example:
Example -- Bike that trails | |
---|---|
B1: [KettWiesel] 3dRuBl Ul | A KettWiesel |
B2: [KettWiesel] 3dRuBl Ul /1 | Can optionally act as a trailer bike |
It's left up to the reader to guess how the conversion is done.
Back to top of Trailer bikes | Back to Contents |
The best way of illustrating what this is about is probably to give some examples.
We'll start with a large example based on Joan and myself - note that it's not necessarily entirely accurate...
----- Begin BikeCodeblock ----------- Comment: See http://www.tibsnjoan.co.uk/bikecode.html BikeCode0.2 P1: [Tibs] Tc B10 K:++ i29:30" h1.65m n1960 H+:~ v~ A+ M+ Rg- P2: [Joan] Tc B7 gF H+ L0 M0 B1: [AnthroTech] 3tRu U1c w37" Wr19:406 Wft406[Nokian] Wrt32:406[SchwalbeCityMarathon] Mfr SAf bDh[Sachs]:C G3x7 8s Lrr1B Cb[Michael] VjsX ral[5022:MidnightBlue] B2: [Trek] 2S[Hybrid] U2c Lbbk red B3: [Trek/in-shed] 2S[Hybrid] U1~ pT red T: [BurleyD'Lite] 2c2[Thomas] f++ VsX /1,3 b1: [KettWiesel] 3dRuBl U1l b2: [Birdy] 2S f+ U2cl ----- End BikeCodeblock -------------
From this, one can gather that:
This is some of the same information presented as email headers:
X-BikeCode-version: 0.2 X-BikeCode-URL: http://www.tibsnjoan.co.uk/bikecode.html X-BikeCode-Part1: P: [Tibs] Tc B10 K:++ i29:30" h1.65m n1960 H+:~ v~ A+ M+ Rg- X-BikeCode-Part2: B: [AnthroTech] 3tRu Uc w37" Wr19:406 Wft406[Nokian] Wrt32:406[SchwalbeCityMarathon] Mfr SAf bDh[Sachs]:C G3x7 8s Lrr1B Cb VjsX ral[5022:MidnightBlue] X-BikeCode-Part4: T: [BurleyD'Lite] 2c f++ VsX
As a second (fictional) example, we'll take Alfred Jarry, as reported in Howard Waldrop's short story "Fin de Cyclé" (one of my favourite ever short stories, originally published in the collection Night of the Cooters, 1990). His bike code is something like:
BikeCode0.2 P: [AlfredJarry] ob T* B10..12 n1873 h1.25m H--:-- B: 2O
The high BIG factor is because of the general visibility of an ordinary (even at a time when they were more common), his undoubted habit of taking exactly the road space he wished, his rather obvious way of dressing, and the large amounts of ordnance he would wear on his person and bike. As to the "H" rating, I am quite sure he would have disapproved immensely of the idea of helmets.
Here is an example of how to specify a single machine - this is a Coventry Rotary Tricycle:
B: 3sS dl Wrl50" sr Wrr24" Mr S|
This had a large wheel on the left, driven, and two smaller wheels on the right, steered. The treddle version of it would have 3sSt at the start. In "conversation" it's OK to omit the version of the BikeCode - although it may make it a bit dodgy for later viewers, of course...
Jeff DelPapa provided a personal bike code, which I've attempted to update to 0.2 (apologies if I got it wrong):
BikeCode0.2 P: Tcltx B8..11 Dc12km Dx300km i75 h1.7 m100kg gM n1957 K++ H+ Aero vP M++ Mb++ Mp+ W+ Rg+ trk- EC709
Trent Fisher also provided a 0.1 BikeCode, which I've attempted to convert:
BikeCode0.2 P: T* B7 Dc4mi K++ gM n196* H+:~ vP M W- B: [DragonFlyer] 3sRu U* pC[spd] Lrr f- Vf* col[green] T: [BicycleREvolution] 2H C100lb fx V- b: 2Ru f+
Sam Holliman ditto:
BikeCode0.2 P: Tx B6 Dx25..50mi K+ m245lb gM n1956 Aero H+:~ v~ M+ Vv:p B1: [Trek1200] 2S Ux pc[Look] Wr700[Spinergy] B2: [CannondaleSV700] 2S Ux pc[Frogs] Wr559[Spin] B3: 2Ru HB[Trek820+exhausttube] Ul col[multi-color] p[flat] Wrf406 Wrb559
Dave Larrington gets the same treatment:
----- Begin BikeCodeblock ----------- BikeCode0.2 P: Tctrl B9..11 Dc16km K+ i86cm h1.9m m80kg gM n1964 pr185 H+:~ vP M++ W Vh B1: [KingcycleGTO] 2RoBs Uctr l2.4 w0.6 mtfh 8fs pC[Look] (HBLbbx) f-- B2: [RevellRomany] brk 2S Ucl m13 Sb p[none] Lrr B3: [SonicHedgehog] 2S[MTB] Ucl m10 8fs[TiFlite] pT T1: [YAKBoB] 1g l1.3 w0.41 m5.5 C32kg Vf /1,2 T2: [Homebuilt] brk 2g l2 w0.6 mtfh C0.34m3 f- /1 ----- End BikeCodeblock -------------
And Giles Puckett used a BikeCode in his signature for a while - here is a rewriting of it...
BikeCode0.2 P: Tlx B9 H+ M++ W+ Vct B1: 3tRu HB Vf B2: 3tRu HB Pe[solar] (HB[in-progress]) B3: brk[cannibalised] 3tRul HB B4: brk[neglect] 2RoBc HB
For amusement value, I've also tried converting Matt Wenham's MTB code from:
MTB 0.6: N2 O1 Sp2 G21/16 Tr3:2/3:0 A3/6 St/Ti XC++ DH J- L+++ H++ Fr+ M+ RG+ Ra-- Fi+ O-- Y28 R12
to (with some guesses and approximations, of course, since the two codes are different in intent):
BikeCode0.2 P: Toc M+ Mb++ Rg F+ gM n1972 B1: 2S[MTB] Uo G3+7 8fb fmS B2: 2S[MTB] Uo G2+8 8f fmT B3: 2S
Back to top of Examples | Back to Contents |
Thanks to the following people who commented on BikeCode version 0.1. Ideas have been culled (i.e., stolen) from all of them, and incorporated to make this new version of the BikeCode more - well, more something, anyway (certainly more).
Back to top of Acknowledgements | Back to Contents |
There are a vast number of differences between BikeCode0.1 and BikeCode0.2, not least the addition of lots of new codes. I haven't bothered to list everything - instead, here are the incompatible changes:
The BikeCode header can now specify the URL of a page (for instance, this one) defining the BikeCode.
Dave Larrington suggested the following:
I've also added the brake code "@" to mean back-pedal brakes.
(Why FullScottishBreakfast? Well, it's like a full english breakfast, but with porridge added (and definitely with black pudding).)
Since we're no longer with Demon, but have a "proper" domain name, I've corrected all of the appropriate URIs.
Since the link to Matt Wenham's MTB code seems to have become disfunctional, I've now got links to an encoder and a decoder instead.
Back to top of Changes | Back to Contents |
Author: Tibs (tibs@tibsnjoan.co.uk)
Last modified: Thu Apr 26 15:49:30 GMT Daylight Time 2001