Posts tagged with “cycling” and “Voyager”
October 09
Chains and teething pains
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Had a rather wonderful weekend, and much of it relates to cycling, but not in an exclusive way (I hope!). Finally got around to washing both Derek and Voyager, which was well overdue. Derek had also worn his chain through, and a replacement KMC 99, per the picture, had been bought and was fitted on the Sunday.
Probably the nicest thing was Aero taking back to the saddle and getting the new dog acclimatised, as well as her own legs! That all seemed to go well, though I do want to check the tandem chain for wear also, and the rear pads need changing soon.
Managed to set a scary new top speed on DG also - just over 47 mph, or what one could definitely call, quite fast enough, thank you! The real achievement was not that though, it was making the sixteen percent gradient climb back up - that felt _GOOD_!
Today what feels really BAD though is that on Voyager, with the new chain, there was slipping over the cogs, or at least that is what it felt like to me, when there was a lot of torque, especially in the higher end (on the smaller rings at the back). I am seriously worried this means I have to change the rings as well as the chain. Last night I spoke with a couple of fellow cyclists from the choir though, and they think dérailleur adjustment might resolve the matter - so a visit to the bike shop beckons, and I'm really hoping they are right.
On a separate but telling note, and to end with a smile: It was with a wry grin that my analyst observed I came to her to repair myself, but spent much of the time talking about what was broken, mended, or improved with my various bicycles! Gives a whole new meaning to the term "headset"!
07:14 AM
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1 Comment
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Tags: cycling, Voyager, chain, KMC, analyst
May 15
Beaks, tails, and tubes
It has been a very Spring-like time of late.... rejuvenation of bicycles under varying conditions and the thrill of a third (drum brake on Derek). Also out diary has been very full, happily with some entertaining into the mix. Pictures are to follow above this post which will shed some light on the subject line! And shed some light is an apt turn of phrase, because the tails referred to are those of "Voyager" where I have been struggling to find a satisfactory way to attach a "Cateye" rear light whose fitting needs to be plundered for Derek. I thought I had hit upon it when I superglued to a pound shop fitting and improvised with Bungees, but first after a week or so the glue gave out and then I found the bolt had compromised the fitting also. I had time over the weekend to play with some other options and am hopeful of an ingenious arrangement with the (re-glued with another adhesive) fitting sandwiched and ganging adjacent to the dérailleur. Of course the light is going to get dead mucky and have a hard life, but I rather like the idea of a low hanging light into the mix with my seat post and rear helmet - we'll see how long this one lasts (and if I hear it fall should it become detached!). As for the beaks, well we had guests over the weekend and had deployed our cheese platter (pictured). This was an impulsive gift from my sister, and we were a little surprised when our guest said "OH! You've got a Sarah Rose!" Or something (I may have the name wrong). It turns out these birds atop or incorporated into her designs are a trade mark and that our cheese platter is somehow a celebrity in the chine world! And we never knew we has posh pottery at all! Last and gloomiest are the tubes - no pictures but suffice to say I somehow contrived to have two punctures on Friday, to blow out a valve on Saturday, and on Sunday afternoon in the process of "repairing" managed to explode one tube, fit another with a slow which had to be removed, attempt fitting a 26" MTB tube to a 700 35mm tyre (don't bother trying, it is futile!) and finally somehow patch over the two patches with a slow to achieve one good tube, which I shall have to ride direct to the bike shop to get a spare. At least that is (fingers crossed) my entire puncture allowance for the next thousand miles in one weekend. I am aspiring to acquire the new limited edition "London" tyres from Schwalbe which might just make that mileage achievable puncture free, but I have yet to see them in a bike shop... maybe tomorrow? 06:18 AM | 0 Comments | Tags: cycling, bicycle, VoyagerMay 14
Voyager can has tail light!
05:38 AM
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Tags: bicycle, cycling, Voyager
December 24
My daughter can't wait until Christmas!
If there is one phrase that has become the signature or catch phrase for this year it is "I can't wait until Christmas!". Fortunately it is spoken with such charm and variation in inflection and with a certain sense of timing that it has not become TOO wearing (yet!). I seem to have managed five hundred miles on Voyager before Christmas, which feels about right, though I have not worked out the daily average, which no doubt would disappoint me.... (Goes to check with a calculator - HMmmm eighteen and a half, not bad, but twenty would be better!). What did not disappoint was a classic ride across London yesterday to enjoy a pre-dawn descent from Haverstock Hill. I had forgotten that as I reached the end of this descent of course I re-entered my childhood, passing the roundhouse and Marine Ices at the top of Camden High Street! It was a real trip down memory lane, I was amazed at how prosperous the ice cream restaurant appeared. I had the rare privilege of checking out all of the Christmas lights from my bicycle earlier too, and enjoyed passing through the Belgravia gallery area and feasting my eyes on the art displayed in the windows too. I hope I shall be proven right, but this year is shaping up to be one of the really great Christmases for me to remember. Watch this space.... 07:55 AM | 2 Comments | Tags: Camden, Marine Ices, Roundhouse, Christmas, cycling, Isabel, VoyagerNovember 27
Just read the shiny specs next to the picture here and you get some idea why it may be a dark and murky pre-dawn morning, but I have no time to write here, I need to go ride again!
05:50 AM
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Tags: cycling, bicycle, Voyager, Ridgeback
November 26
MY new bike! His name is "Voyager", one week old - no time to write, got to ride now!!
07:48 AM
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Tags: Voyager, cycling, bicycle
