Well done Stephen one hell of a bike ride so far fair play to you.your videos are great pass no remarks of smart arse posters .i hope you get back on track very soon im a shimano man meself don't trust rohloff but i can see where your coming from,fingers crossed everything works out get back on te tour trouble free,stay safe tail winds.I came across these posts about me completely by chance, and I have to say they are mostly quite fair, and brutal at the same time
It was never my hobby, and I rarely cycled, but I always liked the idea of cycling around the world, I thought it was the perfect speed, and to do it under your own steam too. I never thought I would ever get the chance of course, after all it would be a massive undertaking for “the average Joe”, and especially someone who has never so much as spent a weekend cycle touring.
Well after working hard and manually my entire life, bringing up to daughters, and putting myself last, I at last found myself at 54 years old with the opportunity to take on that crazy adventure, so I saved and made it happen.
I bought the KOGA because I knew nothing about bikes or bike mechanics, and just wanted the best bike I could afford, that would take me around the world, with very little in the way of repairing if I maintained it well.
I wanted to experience this whole thing as a complete novice, and maybe that was just a crazy idea, but at least I had the balls to give it a go, and it was what I wanted to do, so I set out. Aside from the pains in muscles I never knew I had, the mental side was really very tough.
My first 9 days were constant rain, day and night, hills were battering me, and the total weight of 206kg was proving very hard work. Strong in my work as a builder, this was a whole new thing for my body.
I started hearing a clicking and feeling it through my pedals, so I contacted my dealer and was told it was likely just dirty water getting into the bottom bracket and it would be OK. It continued, so I called them back, and asked if it could be the Rohloff gearing.
I was told no, as this is never heard of, and the things I’m hearing are just things settling in, bedding in, and it will be OK. I took the bike to 2 separate bike shops as I travelled down to Portsmouth, and both took the bottom bracket out, cleaned everything, and couldn’t find issue. Great people and neither shop charged me for the work.
Just before Portsmouth I called my dealer again and said I am thinking about bringing the bike back, but was told I had nothing to worry about and it was extreme for me to want to do that, and that everything would be OK.
Well it wasn’t OK, it was banging and clanging all the way to La Rochelle, where I found a KOGA dealership. I took the bike in and was treated like a tw#t. I had never been treated like that in my life by a shop, I held myself back from dragging the lot of them outside, I need this fixed. 2 Days of trying to get them to deal with it, and on the second day they receive an email from Rohloff ( as I had contacted my dealer and he had been on the phone to Rohloff) on how to take the new splined carrier off and apply a thick grease to hide the noise.
It turned out that this was a known issue to Rohloff and KOGA, to do with the marriage of the new splined carrier / components, and the carbon belt. It turned out that Rohloff and Gates were working on a solution but didn’t have one yet, other than banging a load of thick grease in.
Grease in, and off I go. I cycle down the Atlantic coast to San Sebastian in Spain, then over Basque Country to Madrid, Madrid to Valencia, and then up the coast to Southern France. A total of 3329 km’s. Now look at that how you will, but to me, I had achieved quite something for a first timer, and an old timer, I was pretty proud of myself.
I made crappy videos “apparently”, and took hundreds of photos, uploaded posts daily to keep those that were interested up to speed, and I experienced some amazing things and met some wonderful people.
Sadly, by the time I reached Marseille in France, the noise was back. After a number of phone calls, with the only help I was going to get was being mailed a tube of thick grease from Rohloff, I contacted Trading Standards.
I won’t go into that bit, but the result was that, and no offers of help from KOGA to return the bike for repairs, I hired a car in Marseille and dropped the bike off with my dealer in the UK.
I hope I’m not boring you up to now.
It turned out that the bad marriage of parts resulted in badly worn components, and it was just as well I brought it back, as I would not have got much farther on my tour. The older threaded carrier and components didn’t have this issue.
I at first I demanded a full refund, but after telephone conversations and emails with Rohloff and my dealer, we agreed that the bike will now be converted to a Rohloff chain drive system. Sprockets being 42 front 17 rear. A spare for each will be provided. Spare front and rear belt cogs provided in case I ever want to change back to belt drive, a new bottom bracket anyway, 2 new Schwalbe tyres and tubes, service, and tools so that I can change sprockets and carriers myself if need be.
I am sad to be back here just 3 months in to my world cycle, but it could not be helped, the bike was knackered. I will now spend Christmas with my daughters and return to Marseille in the new year to where I left off, then I will continue on my tour.
Now it, surely it has to be refreshing to see an ordinary family guy, with no experience, not too hot making videos, and not so great at blogging, get on a bike and attempt to spend a few years cycling around the world. Solo, self-funded, self-supported, and just an ordinary Joe. Wish me luck anyway you lot. Cheers. Steve.
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r04DiE
300km a week through London on a road bike.
How dare you insult my transmission...
John Peel
Senior Member
- Location
- Cheshire England
Thanks, as I have missed my winter window to get me through Europe to Cyprus by late Feb / early March, I am now hold up until the end of Feb here in Cheshire, but that's OK, I'm not one for giving up easily and will be making the most of this time to plan long term visas for India and Thailand, where I hope to be later next year. I will also look at ways of scaling down my gear for the multiple flights I will be having to take between countries like to Australia and New Zealand. Steve
John Peel
Senior Member
- Location
- Cheshire England
I don't blame him, I love India too. I've been a couple of time, got a train from Kerala to Goa and hired a car there. My plan is to fly to Mumbai and cycle down the coast to Trivandrum in the south. After Christmas I'm sorting out a 6 month visa open for 1 year, so I can make the most of that wonderful place, so I might be there 6 months myself
John Peel
Senior Member
- Location
- Cheshire England
Well lets hope so after all this. Setting off after the worst of the winter now, so late Feb, after that, I hope to not see another cold winter for a few years. Great.
