Search found 76 matches

by GregLR
30 Sep 2014, 5:45am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: JTEK shiftmate conversion Shimano 10 to 9-speed
Replies: 10
Views: 1521

Re: JTEK shiftmate conversion Shimano 10 to 9-speed

Many thanks RRSODL, Pete75, tim_f, rjb, keyboardmonkey & drossall, for all your helpful comments & suggestions re various aspects of my friend's Shimano 10 to 9 speed conversion plan and the Shimergo difficulties on my wife's bikes (I'll address those comments in a separate post).

The bike being considered by my friend Bill is a Fuji tourer: http://australia.fujibikes.com/bike/details/touring It has a Deore 48/36/26T crankset with external bearings and a Shimano Altus MTB front mech.

Converting the bike to 10-speed to match the 105 shifters, as suggested by tim_f & powermonkey, would require some extra outlay in addition to the 105 STI shifters - but, as keyboardmonkey implied, perhaps not a great deal extra over the cost of JTEK shiftmate for the rear mech (& possibly the front due to the MTB front mech on the Fuji). The extras would be: a Deore 10-speed cassette (about £20); a 10-speed chain (under £15), which apparently will work with a 9-speed crankset; and, probably, a 10-speed 105 front mech (about £20, on sale at CRC at the moment).

keyboardmonkey: as you imply, there is doubt whether an MTB front mech (Altus in this case) would work with the 10-speed front shifter. Are you suggesting a 105 double front mech or the triple ? I've read elsewhere that the double might work best because, even though it is narrower between the plates, it has a flat & low/narrow inner plate rather than the ridged & tall/wide inner plates that are now used on triple front mechs to mate with specific chainring combinations.

I have encountered this sort of problem previously when building up both my wife's and my new tourers in 2011 - I ended up using early 90s XT front mechs on both bikes because I couldn't get modern triple front mechs to work with the Sugino/Spa XD cranksets (mine 46/36/26; hers 44/33/24) because those ridged inner plates caused the chain to jam on some shifts.

Thanks again for all the helpful comments. I've shown them to Bill & will be talking with him about this on a ride tomorrow.

Greg
by GregLR
28 Sep 2014, 7:17am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: JTEK shiftmate conversion Shimano 10 to 9-speed
Replies: 10
Views: 1521

Re: JTEK shiftmate conversion Shimano 10 to 9-speed

RRSODL wrote:One observation only. Campagnolo 10 to shimano 8 sp cassette and Campagnolo 11 to 9sp cassette - no need for shiftmate.

Thanks for your comment, RRSODL - do you mean Campagnolo 11 to Shimano 9 speed ? If so, I'd be interested to know if you have first hand experience with this.

I ask because over the past three years I've made countless attempts, and spent many hours, to try to get this to work on my wife's tourer - without success - after getting the idea off the Chas Roberts website. No matter what adjustments I make, her gear changes still skip a cog somewhere along the cassette, usually in the lower gears (larger cogs).

Missed gear changes on hills is detracting a lot from my wife's enjoyment of cycling, so I've bought a pair of DA 9-speed DT shifters and plan to instal the right DT changer to overcome this problem once & for all (while leaving the front Ergo changer as it is, since it works well with an early 90s Deore XT front mech, after a lot of adjustment work initially) - unless I hear of another viable solution. She likes to use a handlebar bag and in any case doesn't like the look of 9-speed STI changers with 'washing line' cables.

Greg
by GregLR
28 Sep 2014, 1:03am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: JTEK shiftmate conversion Shimano 10 to 9-speed
Replies: 10
Views: 1521

JTEK shiftmate conversion Shimano 10 to 9-speed

A friend has asked me whether I think the model #2 JTEK shiftmate would be effective for achieving shifting on a 9-speed Shimano cassette using 10-speed Shimano 105 shifters with cable routing under the handlebar tape (on special at Wiggle at the moment). He’s considering buying a touring bike that has bar end shifters (which he’s not attracted to & the idea is to replace them with the 105 shifters) in combination with a Deore rear mech & an Altus MTB front mech. My friend wants to be able to mount a handlebar bag without the problem of cables protruding from 9-speed STI shifters.

A search for ‘JTEK’ on this forum did not yield any comments with first-hand experience on this question though an internet search yielded positive comments about the shiftmate mechanism. The SJS Cycles website product description for shiftmate (http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/jtek-shiftma ... 7/?geoc=au ) says that shifting would perform “equally or better than original factory components”, while another site http://www.blackmtncycles.com/2008/07/w ... today.html suggested that getting acceptable shifting might not be straightforward.

There’s also the question of how the Altus MTB front mech would mate with the 10-speed front shifter – & whether a shiftmate mechanism for the front changer would also be needed. The forum search that I did produced a couple of comments along the following lines: “The STI uses a different cable pull to the MTB front mech a shiftmate can be used to change the cable pull. I bought one from SJS and found it worked well.” So it seems like the answer is that a front shiftmate mechanism might be needed.

I was wondering if anybody on the forum has first-hand experience re these questions or otherwise can make informed comment.

BTW, I have Dura-Ace down-tube shifters on both of my touring bikes, so I have no experience with the JTEK mechanism, but my wife's two touring bikes do have Shimergo attempts to marry Campagnolo Ergo shifters with Shimano 9-speed gearing (the Hubbub cable connection for 10-speed Ergo shifters on one bike and 11-speed Athena changers on the other, which Chas Roberts Cycles said would work perfectly but don't). So the shiftmate solution appears like it offers potential there (though there doesn't appear to be a model for converting 11-speed Campag to 9-speed Shimano).

Greg
by GregLR
23 Feb 2014, 3:19am
Forum: Lands End to John O'Groats
Topic: Seeking comments on planned route
Replies: 17
Views: 43312

Re: Seeking comments on planned route

LindaB wrote: Bettyhill – John O’Groats...Via Dunnet Head if we feel up to it...

Yes, go via Dunnett Head if it's not foggy (we didn't see much at all because of the thick see mist) - this is what it looked like as we headed east after the fog started to lift http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vchFjtviiOQ/T ... G_2992.JPG

Also seriously consider going to Duncansby Head, which is the true north easterly point of mainland Britain and is only a couple of km from John o'Groats and is very scenic. See the short diversion on our GPS track here: http://www.gnte2emaps.blogspot.com.au/2 ... roats.html Here are two photos to show you what's there:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6hDwU46YH4E/T ... G_3036.JPG
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9bheMLDythA/T ... G_3040.JPG

Also, I noticed that in one of your other posts you mentioned the route that we took through the Lake District, specifically the A591 between Windemere and Ambleside. See: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/101256521 Just for the record, & as others said, it's very busy though scenic of course - I often had to 'take the lane' to prevent drivers from trying to overtake on the narrow winding road against traffic coming from the other direction. So it's best avoided, but the traffic did decrease significantly after Ambleside and the rest of the route taken to Carlisle, including the lovely,virtually traffic-free ride along the western side of Lake Thirlmere and the scenic jaunt through Threlkeld & Mungrisdale to Hesket Newmarket, was mostly on very quiet lanes & roads (though very hilly at times).

Greg
by GregLR
23 Feb 2014, 2:40am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Strong tyre levers
Replies: 60
Views: 10882

Re: Strong tyre levers

I've been using the robust / stiff, plastic Michelin tyre levers since the mid-90s and I've yet to break one, whereas I broke many thinner plastic levers before that. As well as being about 14mm wide, they have a thin angular / rounded lip to get under the tyre that is very useful if it is a tight fit (this lip is not easy to see in the photo shown in the link). See: http://www.vintagebicyclerebuilds.com.a ... rs-plastic
I also have some Continental levers in the same wide dimension, but these are nowhere near as stiff and bend quite a lot under load.

(Sorry if somebody has already mentioned the Michelin levers - I did quickly skim through all the posts to date but didn't see mention of them.)

Greg
by GregLR
21 Feb 2014, 10:12am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Chain tool with 'pin stop'
Replies: 21
Views: 16055

Re: Chain tool with 'pin stop'

Dynamite_funk wrote: a chain tool...which had a handy stopper which prevented you from pushing the pin too far out of the chain link.

Back in the 90s the Park Mini Chain Brute had the feature you are seeking but unfortunately the latest model does not have the raised section to prevent the pin being pushed all the way through & off the side plate. After seeing your question I just checked a new one bought couple of months ago and was very surprised to find that it doesn't have this very useful feature.

Then I checked the relevant page on the Park website and found that it says this: "The current CT-5 is designed to push the chain rivet from the chain side plates. If you do not want to push the rivet out, turn the handle only 5 complete turns with 9 and 10 speed chains." (see http://www.parktool.com/product/mini-ch ... -tool-ct-5 )

Greg
by GregLR
17 Aug 2013, 12:49am
Forum: Lands End to John O'Groats
Topic: CTC B&B route, any problems?
Replies: 4
Views: 20164

Re: CTC B&B route, any problems?

master stone wrote:Also the route is fairly intricate and I do worry I will be stopping every few miles to check the map to see if I am still going the right way!

If you don't already have a Garmin GPS bike computer this would be a bit of a rush to set up with only 12 days to go to the start of your ride but I thought I'd mention anyway: it's possible to access the GPS files for the range of segments of the CTC B&B route to enable you to use the 'course' or other navigation function on a Garmin device to navigate during your E2E without having to constantly check a hardcopy map.

If you are a CTC member, go to http://www.ctc-maps.org.uk/ then click on "find cycle routes" then "most popular" on the page that comes up - the 'end to end' route is at the very top in the table that appears. If you click on that it will take you to the summary page for the the E2E route, then you can go to the "Notes" tab to find the instructions for downloading GPX files to your home computer for the various segments of the B&B route.

I would then upload each GPX file separately to http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com and use the "Download" facility in the "Summary" tab to send each segment of the route to a Garmin device (I use an 'Edge 800') as a 'course' preferably in TCX format (rather than GPX), because TCX will use the actual co-ordinates specified in the track to navigate (rather than imposing a quickest or shortest route like a car GPS).

When uploading you can choose to "add course point warnings" so that the device will 'beep' to signify that there are text directions on the screen as you approach a turn so you don't have to stop to check the paper map (the Edge 500 will still navigate in this way even though it doesn't have the facility to view a map). Or you can follow the highlighted route on the screen if the device shows a map.

Our 2011 LEJOG used some segments of the CTC B&B route but also various Sustrans routes and others that we compiled ourselves. I drew each day's planned stage in bikeroutetoaster and uploaded these maps in TCX format to my Garmin 800 that has the OS 1:50,000 contour maps for the UK (& to my wife's 500). If you don't choose get the text navigation instructions (which can chew up battery power on a long stage) you can follow the highlighted route on the screen of the 800.

Greg
by GregLR
5 Aug 2013, 1:39pm
Forum: Lands End to John O'Groats
Topic: John o Grotes to Edinburgh
Replies: 4
Views: 19711

Re: John o Grotes to Edinburgh

We also avoided the A9 on our LEJOG in June/July 2011 by following NCN routes and other backroads - except for a couple of unavoidable kilometres after Tain that were heavily trafficked, with lots of trucks, & had little or no hard shoulder, before we turned off to take the quiet A836 alongside Durnoch Firth. The A9 was also very heavily trafficked & shoulderless when we saw it at other times where the NCN route ran next to it or nearby, eg, from the top of the Drumochter Pass.

The comment by mcslaski above puts it very well - "a scary place for a cyclist...", so taking taking the NCN/old A9 is advisable to say the least. I noticed a comment along similar lines by duncanlingard on another thread re the state of the NCN 7: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=72920&start=75#p658624 which says, in part: "...My wife and I cycled the stretch [of NCN 7] from Pitlochry to Newtonmore yesterday (29/04/13) and parts of it were in pretty poor condition but nowhere near bad enough to make us consider the current A9 as an alternative! "

Our route from the Forth Bridge to John o'Groats is shown in maps on these pages from our blog (refer Stage 17 onwards), which also provide the link to the original Garmin file for each map:
http://www.gnte2emaps.blogspot.com.au/2 ... order.html
http://www.gnte2emaps.blogspot.com.au/2 ... lands.html
http://www.gnte2emaps.blogspot.com.au/2 ... tland.html
http://www.gnte2emaps.blogspot.com.au/2 ... roats.html

Greg
by GregLR
29 Jul 2013, 2:23am
Forum: Lands End to John O'Groats
Topic: Alternatives to A30 (from split topic)
Replies: 23
Views: 23893

Re: Alternatives to A30 (from split topic)

The maps on this page show how we avoided the A30: http://www.gnte2emaps.blogspot.com.au/. Below is an overall route map showing largely scenic route that we took over three weeks, using mainly backroads, rail trails, canal tow paths, etc, including lots of Sustrans routes.

Greg

Image
by GregLR
12 Jun 2013, 6:40pm
Forum: Lands End to John O'Groats
Topic: Edinburgh to lockerbie
Replies: 5
Views: 2438

Re: Edinburgh to lockerbie

This may be of some help in developing a possible alternative option for your route from Edinburgh to Lockerbie: the 3 maps on this page http://www.gnte2emaps.blogspot.com.au/2 ... order.html overview the route we took on our 2011 LEJOG from Carlisle to Perth via Lockerbie, Moffat, & Abington using the old highway parallelling the Motorway then largely minor roads from Happendon via Lanark to Bathgate & Uphall (near Broxburn) which is about 20km from Edinburgh. We then went via Craigton, Abercorn & Port Edgar to Queensferry & then across the Forth Road Bridge but I've noticed on the OS Landranger No 65 that from Broxburn near Uphall there is a cycleway (a Sustrans route) running along the Union Canal into Edinburgh. Here are the Garmin Connect links to these maps, which will allow you to zoom in to see exactly the roads we took & also the cycleway (a green line) from Broxburn into Edinburgh.

Carlisle to Moffat: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/101256516
Moffat to Bathgate: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/101256514
Bathgate & Uphall to Perth: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/101256509

Greg
by GregLR
8 Jun 2013, 5:24pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Rattling Kysirium Elite rear wheel
Replies: 10
Views: 2269

Re: Rattling Kysirium Elite rear wheel

Sounds like a prelude to what I experienced with my rear Ksyrium Elite about five years ago - loud screeching when freewheeling, such that I had to pedal the whole time until the end of the audax ride I was on. The bike shop mechanic (who was on the same ride & heard the screeching) re greased something in the freewheel mechanism to eliminate the problem. Several friends with more expensive Ksyrium models (with the aluminium bladed spokes, rather than the stainless steel bladed spokes used with the Elite) also experienced this sort of problem within a few months of mine happening. The mechanic who fixed mine (& one of the others) seemed to suggest that there was some sort of design fault in the freewheel mechanism, though you would have expected Mavic to have fixed it by now.

Greg
by GregLR
2 Jun 2013, 9:45am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Helmet Camera
Replies: 15
Views: 3610

Re: Helmet Camera

groberts wrote:My wife uses a RoadHawk Ride, which she is very pleased with. It is not cheap but provides excellent quality pictures and, if required, sound and seems to work without fault.

I've been tempted to buy one of those but I was put off by the review in the April/May issue of CTC's "Cycle" magazine (the full version of the review is here: http://www.ctc.org.uk/article/technical ... era-review ) It was this passage in the review that put me off:

"The camera is meant to be used much like a USB stick in that no software needs to be downloaded to use it. Unfortunately, it did not seem to load up at all on my work computer and Media Player (the recommended video playback software) on my home computer only played sound and no video. I then downloaded VCL for free from the Internet, which gave me video, but no sound. It could be that my computers are a little archaic, but nonetheless I was a little disappointed. On the plus side, they do offer free video editing software if you fancied making a little montage of your clips."

The review also makes these comments about mounting the camera:

"As a cyclist, I was initially puzzled about which mount was meant to be for me. There were no instructions pertaining to this particular part of the gadget, so I tried them all. None fitted my helmet or my bike...I then tried all manner of positions on my handlebars with Velcro, but the angles of the camera were all wrong."

It would be interesting to hear about your wife's experience re downloading the videos (my PC has Windows 7, with windows media player though of course I could download/buy another program if I could be sure that I'd be able to play the videos with sound and vision simultaneously). A zip tie was obviously your wife's solution to the helmet mounting issue, but has she also been able to mount it effectively on her handlebars ?

Greg
by GregLR
7 May 2013, 1:22pm
Forum: Cycling Goods & Services - Your Reviews
Topic: Contour Roam 2 headcam
Replies: 18
Views: 63297

Re: Contour Roam 2 headcam

Dave

Further to my previous post, I just noticed that the photo you posted shows the camera is mounted on the top of your helmet ! And I've also now seen your reply to a similar question about the mounting mechanism on this page http://mccraw.co.uk/video-protection-on-the-roads/.

BTW, I think I read somewhere that the Roam 2 battery lasts about 3 hours before needing recharge - what has been your experience ?

Greg
by GregLR
7 May 2013, 12:52pm
Forum: Cycling Goods & Services - Your Reviews
Topic: Contour Roam 2 headcam
Replies: 18
Views: 63297

Re: Contour Roam 2 headcam

Dave

Thanks very much for the link to your review of the Roam 2. I was just wondering how and where (top or side?) you've mounted it on the helmet. I presume no mounting accessories come with the camera, since near the bottom of this Wiggle page for the Roam2 ( http://www.wiggle.com/contour-roam-2/ ) various extras for mounting are shown, eg: Countour flex strap ( http://www.wiggle.com/contour-flex-strap/ ); a helmet mount package (http://www.wiggle.com/contour-helmet-mounts/); and a bike mount package, including handlebar mounts ( http://www.wiggle.com/contour-bike-mounts/ ).

Greg
Canberra, Australia
by GregLR
16 Mar 2013, 1:06am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Helmet Cams.
Replies: 28
Views: 3674

Re: Helmet Cams.

Ayesha wrote:When a motorist sees a helmet cam in operation, they will immediately recognise the cyclist as a person of 'self imposed importance', and pay them little regard or respect, up to and including hand gestures, shouted obscenities and vulgar name calling.

Not sure how you think motorists are able to spot the the small bullet cameras that are being used now, any more than say a helmet mirror. And if they do have such good eyesight, can it be any worse than happens sometimes even if you are not using a camera ? I've been tipped over the edge & am considering buying a helmet camera because of two intimidation incidents the other day within half a kilometer on a winding, quiet country road. Both seemed to occur because I failed to get completely off the road when they sounded the horn behind me on a bendy piece of road - what am I supposed to do, beam myself up ?

The second of the two was particularly scary (the first driver only attempted to force me off the road !), as the driver raced off up the hill a bit, pulled off partly onto the very narrow gravel shoulder (there were metal barriers beside the road) and attempted to engage me in a fight. It was obvious why he was speeding up, so I picked up speed a bit and passed before he got out of the FWD. He then started ranting and raving then running up the road after me calling at me to get off the bike "you coward". When he got back into the car and drove towards me again, I took the lane (I use a helmet mirror) while he was shouting out the same thing, obviously with the window down. Then I suppose he decided that the consequences for him of running me down with his FWD weren't worth it, so he passed me and continued to shout calling me a coward. All this and without a camera in sight.

I just don't see why such psychos should be let get away with this sort of thing without being reported to the police with the registration number, even if it's just my word against his and the unlikelihood that they would take any action even if I'd happened to remember the registration number (which in this case, because I was under such physical threat, I didn't have the presence of mind to note). And in any case, if I'd had a camera as well as the registration number the driver's actions with the car would have been recorded as would the verbal abuse & threats.

Greg