Cycling UK Forum

Ah yes, something I forgot to mention: allow plenty of time for connections. German trains do not run on time, contrary to the belief of most foreigners. They haven't done for years. It might also be a good idea to look out for engineering works. There are some big ones around. A bus service usually kills bike carriage. The German for this service is Schienenersatzverkehr or SEV for short. You can actually take your bike on many buses, just not the rail replacement ones. Doh!

I live in Germany. You can't take bikes on the ICE express trains, except the very newest and I don't think they run to Frankfurt on your route. You can on the EC and IC trains but you need to reserve places. These are good for longer distances. Local trains such as RE, RB and S all have spaces in varying amounts and positions on the train, no reservation needed. In theory in some places you shouldn't take a bike during the rush hour but I have never seen this enforced. If you are in a bigger group I would travel outside rush hour.

Look at the illuminated signs to get a clue about where the train compartment might be but they are not very informative. If you can find a Deutsche Bahn person on the platform (or ask at the Service Point) they may be able to tell you where to wait. This can be important for the double-decker REs which have the bike compartment at one of the train only. The question to ask in German is "Wo sollte ich auf dem Bahnsteig warten?" and show your bike and ticket for the destination (or write it on the ticket if it is the sort without a destination). You will be told "Am Abschnitt A/B/C/.../G." There are letters above the platform. It is so much easier in France!

You will need a ticket for your bike. For Deutsche Bahn it is a Fahrrad Ticket. For local trains it is a Zusatz Ticket (extra ticket).

Schöne Reise!

I have just sent my Supernova front light off to the manufacturers in Gundelfingen for repair (see my avatar picture!). It stopped providing current to the rear light. It is under 5 years old, so it could be a guarantee case. Diagnosing the fault and separating the cables (partly internal) from the bike was a huge challenge, but that's another story. I'll let you know what happens and my solution for maintainable cabling.

Caledonia64 wrote:I am finding it hard to manage to research because my German is only good for basiic sentences/listed and scored comparisons, and the manufacturers seem reluctant to reply to my requests.

There are web services that will translate pages for you. They should be good enough to understand the gist of a page. I have used them very rarely so I can't comment on their usefulness from personal experience.

If there is a specific bit of German that seems crucial I could translate it for you. The Teasi does work in English - mine is set that way and it is perfectly understandable. The instructions are also available in English here: https://tahuna.com/en/service/instructions/

Thanks Brucey, that's helpful information. I'll measure to be sure. I have various verniers and micrometers. And a BB for comparison.

I still have my Teasi One3 and it still works. It cost me 160 euros. The updated maps keep coming. The software has improved, with some big dips. It won't run all day on one charge but a battery pack or a USB charger off the dynamo takes care of that. It is waterproof enough. It is a receiver only, so you're not telling Google what you're up to. I have used it to note things to update and then later used the recorded track and POI to update OpenStreetMap. It works for walking, boating and skiing too.

I have a Brompton M3L with the 3-speed SRAM hub bought in 2004. There is a thin spacer ring to adjust the position of the sprocket and ensure it is tight against the spring ring that holds it all in place. My ring has a split in it. It still works but sooner or later it will break. The hub is still good - I took it apart and regreased and oiled it recently. Brompton do not have this spare part and I have been unable to get a number or spec from them - poor service. The SRAM exploded parts diagram for this gear model does not show this ring.

Does anyone have any idea how I could find such a part? I know I should have measured the thing when I last had it apart, but I forgot, so I can't give the dimensions without some fiddling about (and risk of further shortening its life).

Is this where 3D printing saves the day?

I have recently updated the software on my Teasi one3 (bought in 2016) from its original, which was Hydrogen 8, to the latest Tahuna Caph. The instructions for the update are not great but I managed to get it done with no problems via my Mac. So, I have up to date maps and a few new functions in the software. I can now control the GPS frequency, which can save some power (longer battery life) and reduce the size of recorded routes. Apparently it now uses the popularity of routes on bikemap.net to influence its routing algorithm. I'm still happy with the device. The documentation could be better and there are some irritating inconsistencies in the way POIs are grouped and classified. But it is still a very usable device for its price.

For anyone who uses any navigation based on OpenStreetMap I encourage you to update the map if you see something missing or wrong. It is easy. That includes POIs such as shops and restaurants. It's great to be able to search for things on my Teasi while I am riding. Example: find nearby restaurants. If the phone number is in OSM it is on the Teasi too.

There's an amphitheatre too but you have to walk (or cycle!) a little way out of town. You can go under the floor where some of the animals were kept. Worth a visit.

There's a train line that runs along the Mosel. You can find the times at Trier Hbf (main station) or online here (in German):
http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/dn?st_name=Trier+Hbf%238000134&st_filter=&cat_name=&searchmode=station&mainframe=result&orig=sS&dosearch=1&oblig_st=1&submitButton=Suche+starten

There is probably a Deutsche Bahn "Infopoint" or "Reisezentrum" at Trier Hbf where you can ask for information. If you tell them where and when you want to travel they can print you a personal travel plan.

Sometimes bike carriage is limited at certain times of the day. Reservation is usually needed only on the longer distance trains such as IC and EC. You usually need to buy an extra ticket for the bike - local regulations vary but where I live for local trains (S, RE, RB) it is called a "Zusatzticket" (extra ticket). Depending on the train type you may have to use a particular carriage. Some on-platform indicators give you some vague clue about where to stand (lettered positions) but the best bet is to find a Deutsche Bahn person to tell you. Sometimes they don't know!

Don't worry too much about all this: lots of people take bikes by train so everyone is used to it.

Viel Glück beim Radfahren!

Raph wrote:...
Also thanks to andrew_s for eWerk suggestion, I got the USB version and it charges my phone at ridiculously low speeds, so I'm only in trouble if I'm grounded on a dull day!

I have a small HAMA device https://www.amazon.de/dp/B003O6VFJC which takes two AA cells and can recharge them from a USB supply such as eWerk. Throw a switch and it will act as a power bank for your phone. So, you prepare for dull days by charging some AA cells and then you can charge your phone from them. If all else fails you can buy throw-away AAs and use those to charge. I can't find the device online anywhere other than Germany.

AM7 wrote:

JamesE wrote:I have a Busch+Muller Ixon IQ and it's superb.

+1 - I've got one and it's great.

+1 more. I have the original Ixon IQ which does 40 lux. I've had it for 6 or 7 years and it never misses a beat. Run it on 4 Sanyo Eneloop cells and get a charger that manages each cell individually. Forget the B+M plug-in charger. The lamp spreads the beam so you can really see and has a sharp cut-off to avoid blinding oncoming traffic. It is intended for road use. I have the original handlebar clamp mounting and a front brake centre bolt mounting so the lamp can go on two bikes. It used to go on three but one was stolen. The bolt brackets sometimes need some fettling to avoid rattles.

B+M have a new Ixon IQ with 80 lux and much the same battery life. I'd buy that if I needed a new battery light.

I've done the Mosel but only from Trier to Koblenz. My wife and I cycle slowly. It is pretty flat and almost all well surfaced. There's a bit that is through woods but we managed with 37 mm tyres.

If you can read German there are some excellent guides available in book form suitable for the bar bag map carrier. They have lots of detailed maps so you could use them just for those. We used the bikeline one. They have the route to download as GPX. Book: http://www.esterbauer.com/db_detail.php?buecher_code=MOSEL.

The tourist office has a GPX route here: https://www.tourenplaner-rheinland-pfalz.de/de/tour/radfernweg/mosel-radweg/3371404/ - see the GPX button top right.

I recommend Bett und Bike accommodation: they welcome cyclists. http://www.bettundbike.de. They have a GPX POI file you can use to find places: http://www.bettundbike.de/service/alle-gastbetriebe-als-poi/.

Allow time to enjoy things along the route. A place not to miss, but off in a side valley, is Burg Eltz. http://burg-eltz.de/en/. It is my favourite castle.

The risk of eating these eggs is very low. The German office for risk assessment says that the level is well below the ADI (acceptable daily intake). They also checked long-term exposure, assuming the illegal use has been going on for some time, again: no problem. The dose is too low. Fipronil is about twice as toxic as caffeine (a natural substance in coffee and tea).

You can start every ride on an egg.

Reference (in German), dated 21 August 2017: http://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/343/aktualisierte-bewertung-von-gesundheitlichen-risiken-durch-den-laengerfristigen-verzehr-von-fipronil-haltigen-lebensmitteln.pdf

Reference for toxicity: http://shalompest.homestead.com/common_pesticide_toxicities.pdf

I took the disc rotor off the hub with the Shimano tool. The splines on both look perfect: no wear. The hub is black anodised. With the lockring removed there is a slight rotational play. I reassembled at the correct torque: no play by hand as was possible before. I assume this slight looseness in the splines is a deliberately designed tolerance to make removal easier.

Thanks for all the feedback. Now I feel more confident in my front brake.