FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast Brighton July 15th 2011

[TimP]

Ti tandems are a fine thing, albeit somewhat expensive.

Ours wouldn't actually weight so much if we took the extraneous guff off it (solid racks and the luggage we tend to carry) and swapped in some lighter wheels.

Kathy won't entertain the idea of a tandem for off-roading even though she did concede that it would have been just the job for an MTBO event we took part in a few weekends ago.

 

[Fanjio]

Having now recoverd from July 15 and the BEC 25ml TT on Sunday 17 July I had hoped to ride the KPRC 10 ml TT tonight on the A24 near Dorking but it's cancelled due to road works. So now I have some time to reflect on my first FNRttC this year. One of the most memorable if only mainly for the horizontal rain and strong head wind over Ditchling as many have remarked. It was good to see User10571 & Claudine again after the success of last years September Martlets ride which I will repeat again this year and offer to marshall at Chipstead. Well done Susie for surmounting the Beacon that should give some encouragement to Mice who I met for the first time. It was great to share choc bars, peanuts & dried fruit together and sort out cleat problem. Essential to have them tightly fixed to shoe to avoid falling off.
Turning to Boarman Bikes & SRAM gears, I have spoken to 3 KPRC club members who have Different specs of Boardman and two of them have had problems with the front changer. One changing down from the big to small ring and the other the reverse. Miranda was having much difficulty in changing up. Two tips are advised. Make sure that the cable that goes through the frame is kept lubricated. Also as with all mech's it's essential to have them adjusted correctly. If the bike came from Halfords then maybe they should do it but I have mixed reports about their capability. Slacken of the cable with an Allen Key and adjust the stop so that the chain is centred on the small ring and cannot overshoot and come off. Tighten the inner cable so it's taut/fully stretched and tighten the clamping bolt with Allen Key. Using the brake lever gear paddle while revolving the cranks change into the big ring. At this point adjust the stop so the chain does not over shoot the big ring and come off. The chain should then be centred on the big ring or slightly over towards the crank. See how you go! I'm sure Mice would welcome any good advice especially from other SRAM users. Most people I have spoken to say they work fine when you get used to them. I must add I am no expert as my bikes are fitted with Shimano.
Finally McB I did not recall seeing you on the ride how did I miss you! Mike Morley (Fanjio) (should be Fangio when I've worked out how to change it)

 

[Aperitif]

Interesting about the Boardmans.
At the pub atop Turners Hill, Tim and I were doing the necessary to a front wheel which needed 'air of the dog' in order to roll properly. Undid the front wheel etc but the interesting thing was, the brakes were set up with the release lever in the 'up' position - by Halfords mechanics. Push them down after a refit, and the wheels locked!
Anyway, all sorted out, and, luckily, Tim had popped down the previous week and built a dwarf brick wall at exactly the right height to accommodate a track style pump while the world's shortest valve got the 'treatment'! What a palaver.

 

[StuAff]

Interesting about the Boardmans.
At the pub atop Turners Hill, Tim and I were doing the necessary to a front wheel which needed 'air of the dog' in order to roll properly. Undid the front wheel etc but the interesting thing was, the brakes were set up with the release lever in the 'up' position - by Halfords mechanics. Push them down after a refit, and the wheels locked!
Anyway, all sorted out, and, luckily, Tim had popped down the previous week and built a dwarf brick wall at exactly the right height to accommodate a track style pump while the world's shortest valve got the 'treatment'! What a palaver.

Could have been worse....a few months back, my LBS did a series of evening seminars on maintenance etc, I went to the road bike one. Following a talk about carbon fibre care & the risks of over tightening parts, we were having a break, and the shop guys offered to check bikes over if anyone was concerned about damage. A Boardman Pro Carbon owner, his bike brand new, discovered the Halfords mechanic had put four times the required torque on the stem, it was not surprisingly damaged. And he had to ride it home...about fifteen miles!

 

[hatler]

It's taken a while to get this one down, so apologies.

Provision of the hatler Café Coffee facility wasn't without incident.

Mini-hatler and I drove down the night before to the caravan at Blackberry Woods. Access to the field was blocked by a parked car so I found the owner and asked him to shuffle forward a couple of feet. He wobbled back and forth a couple of times and then reversed towards me, I backed out rather faster and lesss thoughtfully than I should have and backed car (with mini's bike on the back) into a tree. Dang and double Dang !!! Large hole in boot and a knackered Islabike.

Got mini to bed and then set about fettling his bike. Not as bad as first feared, just a bent derailleur hanger, but getting this spot on took the best part of two hours with the limited tools to hand.

Awoke in the morning to the sound of rain. Yuk. Started on the coffee, and couldn't work out why the kettle wasn't boiling. Aaaagghhh !! Whole site power cut. Revert to pans to boil the water.

Weather so horrible decided not to cycle the two miles into Ditchling but to drive it (wimp). Bunged bikes on car, hauled into the Ditchling village hall car park, bikes off. Aaaagghhh !! Flat front on my bike. Set about replacing the tube at the crossroads. All done. Pump pump pump. Still flat. Tube out. Huge hole in seam. Revert to original tube (which was at least only a slow puncture). Pump pump pump. Respectable amount of air. Crowds arrive. Head to Greenhouses. Dispense Coffee in the rain. Wobble our way up the Beacon and decide that cycling to Brighton with mini without a decent waterproof and no change of clothes was a recipe for disaster, so we turned and fled. Back to the car, back to the van and then home. And then up to Bedfordshire for a weekend with friends. Then on the way back from Beds I was dropped at Heathrow for a flight to SA for three days work. Then back overnight Wednesday and straight into work on Thursday morning. Full and long day at work and then off to Cornwall for holiday on the Friday morning. I was shagged out, but discovered when there that the only way I was going to get surfing was to be in the water by 7 so that I could wear myself out and still be home in time for the children to wake up. I've been sleeping every available minute since then.

A regular night ride sounds like a walk in the park in comparison.

 

[Aperitif]

It's taken a while to get this one down, so apologies.

Provision of the hatler Café Coffee facility wasn't without incident...

..children to wake up. I've been sleeping every available minute since then.

A regular night ride sounds like a walk in the park in comparison.

You lightweight, Rob.

Thanks.

PS Your 'turn round at the top was a very good call.