Cranks or intellectual workhorses?
350975
If you're a "Truther" or any of half a dozen conspiracy groups profiled by the author, you're probably not going to like this book. Although the author earned his bona fides by immersing himself in the conspiracy-fueled subculture for two years, he failed to sign on in the end.
Jonathan Kay is a Canadian journalist who found the 9/11 Truthers, the Obama "birthers", the anti-Stratfordians, the vaccine-autism linkers, and all the other conspiracists odd if enjoyable people, many of whom he writes off as "middle-aged men going through a mid-life crisis." Alternatively, he refers to them as culture warriors, ardent nationalists, cranks, intellectual workaholics, independent researchers, informational relativists, and technically-minded, college-educated Internet addicts. Take your pick.
Mr. Kay notes that Americans in general are "mildly schizoid." For example, the Tea Party enthusiasts who support small, constitutionally restrained government in principle often support big-government programs in practice.  Populist conservatives send waves of culture warriors into an unending series of symbolic proxy battles--"death panels," liberal media bias, border fences, evolution, gay marriage, don't ask/don't tell--that allow them to express their "schizoid" frustration through angry rhetoric, partisan attacks, and sometimes outright conspiracism, all without much changing the size of government or preventing it from performing the functions on which we have come to depend. (p. 145  In this respect, they're not really dangerous, are they?
Sometimes, conspiracy theories help explain the failures of nationalist, religious, or identity politics movements. Orwell noted that "ardent nationalists...inevitably lapse into fantasy when history does not unfold as their parochial visions demand." (p. 165) Ergo, the all-encompassing conspiracy theory.
What do these people signify? Chutzpah or crankdom? Kay says, "as a conspiracist, the crank's defining feature is an acute, inveterately restless, furiously contrarian intelligence. " (p. 190) He describes them as "intellectual workaholics" or as they themselves say, "independent researchers."  We all know a crank, and he's usually male and middle-aged.
Kay does grant that today's 9/11 Truther is more sophisticated:" technically minded college-educated Internet addicts", he calls them on p. 255. But for Kay, this doesn't make them less dangerous.
The best quote in the book I found in the last chapter entitled, "Confronting Conspiracism": In our own age, militant skepticism has become exalted as the truest mark of great intellect. Just about every conspiracy theorist I interviewed was very proud to tell me that they trust nothing they are told--and subject every claim to the most exacting scrutiny. This sounds intellectually noble--but in practice, it leads to a kind of nihilism, since there is no fact, historical event, or scientific phenomenon whose truth cannot, in some way, be brought into question by an inventive mind on the hunt for niggling "anomalies." In modest doses, skepticism provides a shield against superstition and false dogma. But when skepticism is enshrined as a faith unto itself, skeptics often will conjure fantasies more ridiculous than the ones they debunk."
233717
Good Cranking power. The deep cycle feature this battery provides  is good for aftermarket sub woofers and amplifiers.
1428408
The motor and drive circuit are excellently made. Tested out of the box ready to go. An idea project piece for many uses.
I find them a tough for its small size and forgiving circuitry. The gear reduction is a bonus as well as the machined flat/coupling shaft.
Simple to complex this is a drive that has many purposes easily manipulated using 555IC timer delayed pulse and NOR gate logic.
2964796
Mike Burrows has been involved in innovative bicycle design for many years.  This book reflects his interests in a diversity of human powered land vehicles, including road bikes, mountain bikes, city bikes, recumbents and tricycles.
The book covers some of the major problems of bicycle design, including aerodynamics, rolling resistance, and the strength and stiffness of materials used to make bike frames.  The book is not a comprehensive, evenhanded guide to all of the issues involved.  Instead, it gives the fresh perspective of an iconoclastic designer.
Burrows likes (for specific uses) disc wheels, monobladed "forks" (like Cannondale's Lefty shock), recumbents, non-standard frame geometry, disc brakes, hub brakes and composite construction.  He refers to tires as "annular pneumatic suspension".  He dislikes bogus "aerodynamic" frame tubes, bladed carbon wheels, shaft drives, belt drives, and the stifling design rules imposed by international bicycle racing organizations.
The book does not include rigorous mathematical analyses of the engineering problems involved; to get that perspective, see "Bicycling Science" by Whitt and Wilson.  Burrows has the perspective of an inventor.  The writing has a humorous tone and the diagrams are clear and amusing.  I'd recommend the book to anyone who is interested in the technical aspects of human powered vehicles.
419155
I've had so many different problem with this things I cant say It was even remotely a good investment. not to say other may have a different experience I say proceed at you own risk. I'm am known to be quite handy, intuitive and innovative when it come to problem solving but current my bike is absolutely unridable this thing broke my bike. I wouldn't even have a week of constant use before another problem arose. if it was reliable I would say best investment but with all the problems worst investment.
2422555
I bought this crank set after having problems with another crank I bought on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008PNU4WS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1398693106&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40

I carefully installed these cranks but was disappointed when it developed a creak after a day or two of riding. Oh well I figured, you get what you pay for.

So I went back and bought the Origin 8, since they were over 2.5x the price it should be better right? Wrong. I received the crankset and laid the two next each other. They were the EXACT SAME crank arms as the previous set (aside from a different logo and two cosmetic machined pockets).

I installed the Origin 8 cranks very carefully but again, in a day or two, they began to creak just the like the set I replaced.

I finally found a decent crankset on eBay and when I removed the Origin 8s there was significant signs of wear inside the taper where it attaches to the spindle. Not sure what "aluminum alloy" they are using but it would appear it is not strong enough.

In short these are poorly designed cranks, but if that is what you are looking for, save yourself $50 and buy the cheaper version. They are the exact same part.
2091961
I started off with a 4-stroke engine which threw keys every time I attempted to engage the clutch to ride. Because of this...I ended up buying one of these 66 cc kits. Having experience...as well as reading everything on several forums on motorized bikes...took about 8 hours to put together. Half of this time was spent taking off the 4-stroke engine...because I will put it back on in the future once I can afford to get a belt drive.

The biggest problem with the kit I used was the magneto/CDI wiring. Having a friend help me who had built another kit about 2 months earlier...he & the directions were unclear on the correct wiring...so we fried the electrical system. Will by buying another magneto/CDI this week & be back on the road late this week or early next week.

For those of you worried about the 66 cc engine...don't be. While many states require 50 or less cc...as long as you take off all stickers/plates saying the size of the engine & ride safely...you will not be bothered. As with anything where you draw attention to yourself...you will get that attention when you don't want it.

If you need any questions answered...feel free to join some of the forums available to you. To find these...put motorized bicycle into your favorite search engine. Have all ready gotten the correct wiring sequence on the electrical system...as well as other information you will want/need to get the most out of this hobby. All of you who did this without the help of others who have come before you...means you didn't need all of the stress & bad ratings you have given these engine kits. I & others are more than happy to help you if you will only ask.
1518128
Starter cranks way better than original. Will wait a while before judging reliability, that being said don't expect any problems.
972309
I previously used a Roma strainer that a friend purchased, but it had the manual crankshaft.  The motor is a great timesaver and well worth the cost.  I used it to process a bushel of pears and apples to make pear and apple butter.  It saved me hours of labor.
1679993
I am setting up a BMX and needed new pedals. It has a one piece crank with 1/2" taped pedal holes. The main reason I picked these is they were the only ones that were not 9/16".They are serviceable and I am grateful to have them but I would have paid three or four times as much for Alu. ones.  A hint to manufactures , not everyone wants a 3 pc. crank set.
  Frank Stanek
3541076
Fritz Zwicky was never very much appreciated in his time and he was largely mistreated by his colleagues.  But most of his ideas, treated as wacky at the time, have turned out to be ultimately correct -- sometimes in more general terms, rather than specifically.  But for example he talked about neutron stars and gravitational lenses at a time when these ideas were considered "crank." Now both are not just well-accepted but are huge fields of on-going research.  This book is about a method that can be used to open a researchers mind to possibilities that might otherwise not spring to mind.  It emphasizes his work on clusters of galaxies, but includes hints about other areas.  Since it was written in a rather imperious and grandiose style (in response to the skepticism of his colleagues, one presumes), the reader needs to set the bombast aside and consider the ideas on their merits.
850907
Martin has an interesting thesis here.  His whole focus can really be summed up as that the most successful people don't think in terms of tradeoffs.  Rather, they can hold two diametrically opposing ideas in their heads, then produce a synthesis which is superior to either opposing idea.

In thinking about this, I've seen a lot of this in life.  I think the book gives a great example:
- In a quote from A.G. Lafley - successful P&G CEO: "Haven't found a creative resolution that meets my standards.  That's not the world's fault.  I just haven't thought hard enough yet." - exactly makes this point; he doesn't think in tradeoffs - he looks for a synthesis of what he's seen for a new approach.

A lot of what is called "disruptive innovation" today came as this sort of thinking.  Hey, you're reading this on Amazon!  Do you think Bezos things in terms of tradeoffs - or does he take opposing ideas and blend them into an innovative approach?  Food for thought....
4182028
Excellent workmanship and finish. Its versatility is also its weak point because it takes some manual dexterity to get the studs through the arms and the arms properly positioned so that the tool is centered over the end of the crank, but once properly positioned, an impossible job becomes simple.
3979036
Didn't Steve Jobs say all this already in his "the computer is the bicycle of the mind" antidote:

I think one of the things that really separates us from the high primates is that were tool builders. I read a study that measured the efficiency of locomotion for various species on the planet. The condor used the least energy to move a kilometer. And, humans came in with a rather unimpressive showing, about a third of the way down the list. It was not too proud a showing for the crown of creation. So, that didn't look so good. But, then somebody at Scientific American had the insight to test the efficiency of locomotion for a man on a bicycle. And, a man on a bicycle, a human on a bicycle, blew the condor away, completely off the top of the charts.

And thats what a computer is to me. What a computer is to me is its the most remarkable tool that weve ever come up with, and its the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds. ~ Steve Jobs
3774562
I am reviewing the 1994 edition of this book. Amazon seems confused about the two editions. You'd think this book would be dry as toast, but if you have an interest in the Moulton bikes it's really fascinating. Every model, every nut, every bolt, every braze-on, every variation in gearing that was ever produced is chronicled here. Mixed in are excerpts from magazine reviews, press reports, rider reports, comments by Alex Moulton, on and on. The bikes covered are all the  AM and APB series bikes produced through the publication date of 1994. This includes the period in history when the "mountain bike" was invented and rose to popularity. This is a fascinating story and the Moulton AM-ATB model was right there at the start with suspension before anyone else. However, do note that this book does not cover the more recent "New Series" and TSR models. I presume that the newer 2009 edition has been thoroughly updated to include those models, as this is what Tony Hadland did with his previous book, "The Moulton Bike" (aka "The F-Frame Moulton").
3558126
These pliers are mechanical marvels. I looked up the US Patent to get an idea of the development history and found it was an evolutionary process by the same inventor. The thing took a while to figure out.  The hand lever has two degrees of rotational freedom. Closing it from the forward end of the handle with index finger operates the pliers like a 3rd class lever - fast but useless for gripping. (That's probably why the bad reviews.) When the jaws make contact, you're supposed to wrap all fingers around the lever which shifts it to another mode that applies force to the jaws via linkages and widgets that multiple the force, similar to the toggle of a Visegrip pliers. In other words its pliers with an automatic transission. They seem great for light to medium duty, but for heavy industrial use, I'm not sure.  The frame may delaminate, twist out of plane, or the cams, springs and rachets could fail.  In other words they don't look idiot proof. IDL does offer a lifetime warranty - we'll see, I figure i might have another 30 years left.
1831434
Its a good picture book.  If this is where you need to start before your first engine build, then yes, you should defer the critical adjustments to experienced professionals.  If you have experience rebuilding engines, there isn't much you will find here you haven't seen before.
Except a pushrod engine, perhaps.