iLB's ride to India ...progress report...

[Brains]

bubblewrap ?

 

[PaulSecteur]

..and the solution.. hopefully.

View attachment 138135

With bar tape covering
View attachment 138136

Surely a future GCN hack/ bodge of the week!

 

[Ajax Bay]

If it doesn't adversely affect your position otherwise eg comfort of reach, moving the saddle back (very slightly) will reduce the weight put through the arms/wrists and hands. The padding you've put on would mean the reach to the bars is the same (or less).

@e-rider said: ↑
the further forward the saddle goes, the more weight is put through the arms/wrists and hands.
@cyberknight said: ↑
Here is an interesting read
https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bikefit/2011/05/se at-set-back-for-road-bikes/.

 

[ianrauk]

Day 141 Dushanbe, Tajikistan

It was a quest all of its own to track down a copy of this map yesterday in Dushanbe, via the Swiss Consulate and the UN we eventually found it. Now that the bicycle and stomach are in as good shape as they can be I can ship out of the Greenhouse hostel in the morning.
Between the M41 and the Wakhan Valley routes I've never heard two roads cause so much contention between cyclists and over landers. I can't wait to see what all the fuss is about.

Greenhouse Hostel

The M41 Highway through Tajikistan. Andy will be heading to Osh in Kyrgyzstan

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Interesting solution to a horrid problem. Saddle appears to be somewhat higher than the bars. I'd want it at least as high as the saddle for day-in-day-out rough stuff. Can we airlift our hero a highrise stem, or one of those wackey steerer extenders. At least he doesn't have one of those godawful Jamis proprietory kludge steerer stem combos that my 'Rora came with.

 

[iLB]

Interesting solution to a horrid problem. Saddle appears to be somewhat higher than the bars. I'd want it at least as high as the saddle for day-in-day-out rough stuff. Can we airlift our hero a highrise stem, or one of those wackey steerer extenders. At least he doesn't have one of those godawful Jamis proprietory kludge steerer stem combos that my 'Rora came with.

Bars and saddle are pretty much the same height, but the weird Jamis stem lasted all of ten minutes once it was built up.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Bars and saddle are pretty much the same height, but the weird Jamis stem lasted all of ten minutes once it was built up.

What the hell took you so long?

Higher bars would get more of your weight on your 'arris.

 

[ianrauk]

Day 149 - Khorog, Tajikistan

Andy's not having much luck at the moment.

Here's the state of his wheel at the moment, cracked rim in several placed. He has no choice but to keep riding on it for the moment until he get's to civilisation. Thoughts anyone?

 

[summerdays]

Not that I have any suggestions, but presumably the rear wheel?

 

[ianrauk]

What is likely to be available in the next bit of civilisation? It looks as though he is currently running 700c? If so, as he is using disk brakes, I would consider a rebuild with 26" MTB size rim and take the opportunity to fit flatter tyres.

It's a 700. Thing is Adrian, Khorog is the biggest town for the foreseeable future. So needs a fix here. Though it has a population of 30,000, it has no dedicated bike shops or mechanics. This is going to be a tough fix. He's off to the market to ask around.

 

[ianrauk]

Would a temporary weld do it?

 

[ianrauk]

Welding aluminium is way more specialist than welding steel.

Yeah i guessed so.

 

[ianrauk]

Are there bicycles there? If so, what size rims and tyres do they use?

Looking at the web, mainly old Soviet and Chinese steel.
Hopefully Andy will find something/someone in the market that could help.

 

[iLB]

Depending on who you ask the next section of road (Wakhan Valley route not m41)is at least as bad, if not worse, as the last 400km which was basically off road with huge rocks everywhere.

The other issue is that I have to be out of the country by the 28th which is very tight schedule with the passes that are coming, 4000m and higher. So barring a miracle tomorrow I won't be able to rebuild on 26" rims in Tajikistan at least.

The good news is there should be beer tonight.

 

[Crackle]

My only immediate thought is to de-tension that spoke at the same time taking up some tension in the surrounding spokes to compensate. A delicate operation and I'm not sure of the consequences for the rest of the wheels solidity but you don't want that crack spreading.