Up north..100 mile ride to the coast and back

[tubbycyclist]

Possibility I might be pulling out of this now, bike is not well, gear changing has been ropey last few weeks so I thought I'd have another go today. Majorly bad idea, I now have no idea what I've done and no tension in the gear cable.
Can only think I have unlodged the gear shifter end of the cable and can't get at it, tried the 2 localist bike shops which are both too busy to fix it.
Don't really fancy a 100 miler on my heavy hybrid

Will keep trying and ring round a few more later

I am sure it won't be a major piece of work to fix it. I will happily chuck a workstand and some tools in the car to meet 30 minutes earlier if you would like to have a look at it, or failing that I could always bring another road bike with me ;-)

I was counting on you keeping me company at the back so no ducking out now!

 

[potsy]

Tubby- If you are a whizz with an allen key that could be a great idea, I have managed to get the shifter part working again with a lot of luck and little skill, but the indexing is way out now

Also the end of the cable is looking a bit frayed as I took the end cap off to thread the cable through the mech.
What do you think?

 

[ColinJ]

Possibility I might be pulling out of this now, bike is not well, gear changing has been ropey last few weeks so I thought I'd have another go today. Majorly bad idea, I now have no idea what I've done and no tension in the gear cable.
Can only think I have unlodged the gear shifter end of the cable and can't get at it, tried the 2 localist bike shops which are both too busy to fix it.
Don't really fancy a 100 miler on my heavy hybrid

Will keep trying and ring round a few more later

You can't give up on this ride - it's yours - it says so below the thread title!

What you need is the CycleChat emergency repair squad!

Give us a bit more information. What type of shifter is it? Are you talking front or rear mech? If you get hold of the inner cable somewhere and pull it, does it come tight? And so on ...

PS Ha - you guys are quicker off the mark than me!

If the gear cable is fraying, it might be an idea to buy a new one even if you don't fit it yet. I snapped a fraying gear cable once mid-ride and lost the use of my front derailleur. Carry it as a spare. And don't buy a brake cable by mistake - they are a bigger gauge and won't fit!

 

[potsy]

Colin- it's a Sora shifter and a Tiagra rear mech. The indexing is now out and my cack handed approach to fixing it hasn't worked, it's just tried to throw the chain into the spokes which worries me a bit

It is working in a fashion now at least, just not very well.
When starting from scratch what gear do I put the shifter in and what cog does the chain need to be in?
I have been using small cog on back and loosening the cable right off, then pulling it tight with a pair of pliers to take up the slack. It then won't change smoothly and seems to jump 2 gears sometimes and none at other times

 

[ColinJ]

This video might be helpful!

There are actually loads of them on t'interweb, but that was the first one I tried and the presenter seems to be talking sense.

I should get to work on transplanting bits to my Cannondale. I seem to have mislaid half the cassette!

Good luck. Let us know how you get on and don't let the gremlins defeat you!

 

[potsy]

Cheers Colin, have seen that vid a few times as I have tried to sort it out, got it back to where it was earlier at least, should be rideable now. Probably wants a good looking at/new cables/ etc will attempt that tomorrow if I pluck up the courage
Hope you find the other half of the cassette, though you shouldn't need those little climbing gears on Sunday
In fact I could probably pick a gear and leave it myself for the middle of the ride if it starts playing up again.

 

[ColinJ]

Shaun - we agreed on a 09:30 start (British Summer Time folks - remember that!) but you've put 10:00 in the first post. Could you change it to 09:30 please?







Could everybody who is planning on meeting up at Spring Wood confirm below that they will be there in time to set off at 09:30 and that they will remember to put their clocks forward before they go to bed!

Kevin (tubbycyclist) and I will be setting off from Hebden Bridge at 08:30 BST and will probably get to Spring Wood at about 09:15 BST.

If you get the start time wrong and forget about the clocks going forward you would get to the start an hour and a half late!

 

[fossyant]

Fixed the start time for you !

PS Potsy - I always start aligning the indexing using a middle sprocket. get the jockey directly under the correct sprocket and adjust from there a little at a time. Make sure you set the limit screws to stop it shifting into the spokes !

 

[ColinJ]

Fixed the start time for you !

Thanks for that!

We usually do start at 10:00 and Kevin thought we were this time too, but setting off that bit earlier should enable us to get back in daylight without having to rush.

 

[potsy]

Fixed the start time for you !

PS Potsy - I always start aligning the indexing using a middle sprocket. get the jockey directly under the correct sprocket and adjust from there a little at a time. Make sure you set the limit screws to stop it shifting into the spokes !

Cheers old man

 

[OldnSlow]

Hello All

ColinJ put me down - I'll see you at Spring Wood, It's just round the corner from my house.

Sorry to tell you that I'v had two full days (Thursday & Friday) out in the sunshine - with my shorts on - I know, I know, not a pretty sight.

I'v recced most of this route on both days - I need to get the miles in, I don't want dropping off the back on Sunday.

Col - I'v got an observation.
Very soon after leaving Whalley, you go through Withgill & TL at the x-roads, drop down the hill, cross the river & climb Bailey Bank.
Col, I rode up & down BB 5 or 6 times just to make sure in my own mind I'm not talking rubbish.
All the winter snow has washed the road surface away to leave it really rough - "spoke breaking rough".
Should one of the guys break a spoke so early on in the ride, it will spoil his day & he will think that he maybe holding everyone else up.

You may want to consider a detour around BB.
At the x-roads after Withgill, go straight on (this is my daily ride & I know the road so well), so straight on towards Bashall Eaves, Cow Ark, along the straight mile. TL at the next T junc. TR at the next T junc & then almost immediately left up a lane which brings you out onto Rock Brow to rejoin your original route.

Col - you'r the leader - we'll all follow you (that's a worry chaps after cyclocross in Padiham last week)

See you on Sunday

Stay Upright!!!

Gordon

 

[ColinJ]

Thanks for that information Gordon. I have to confess that my technique on that dip is normally to hit it as fast as I can to let my momentum help me up the other side and it sounds as though I could have ended up in trouble doing that.

I've had a look at both possibilities on the map and the diversion adds some extra climbing and about 2.5 miles which I'd rather avoid so I think we'll stick to the original route, but - I will make a point of reminding everybody to take it easy down that hill. (I also think I might carry my spare drive-side rear spokes!)

The cyclo-cross thing on the last ride was quite funny really. You can see from our photos that the Greenway was a really good surface but then it just stopped. Signage for the route was almost non-existent. I don't think you'd discover the Greenway if you weren't already aware of it and looking for it.

Perhaps I'm just over-cautious, but I wonder what it would be like riding down the Greenway on a summer evening if the local yoof had been hanging around there all day drinking and smoking weed. It was okay on Sunday but it was chilly and damp.

 

[zacklaws]

Wished to hell I was not working as I would have joined you on this one. But, only 4 days work to do and then off till May, plenty of cycling, fishing and gardening to do.

 

[moxey]

Unfortunately I've not been able to get the time off work for this.
Look forward to hearing how you all got on.
Hopefully I will be able to make the next one.

 

[Alun]

I'll be there ! 9.30 BST kick off from Spring Wood!
Bailey Bank? don't like the sound of that, thought it was a flat ride

I have it on good authority that the prom at Blackpool is OK and the diversions are well signposted.

See you tomorrow, hope the weather will be good.