Cycling UK Forum

On my tourer a Sigg fuel bottle sits in its proprietary cage below the down tube. There's a mention of fragility above and the cage has needed some reinforcement.

Cages can be conveniently repositioned with the Topeak adaptor "Alt Position Cage Mount". We now have three of these: simple but effective. One needed a hole to be converted to a slot.
https://www.topeak.com/global/en/produc ... age-mounts

Jonathan

On my Dawes tourer the bar bag is high enough to fit the main headlamp to the fork crown. Computers and other lights then go on an extension bar that's above the handlebar stem.

On my wife's Dawes tourer the main headlamp is on the RH fork, the bar bag is lower, and the extension bar is integrated with a handlebar spacer. That last bit works because the bar bag is lower than it can be with my set-up.

If a headlamp on the fork is too low you can do something similar on the brake fittings, again with bits from SJS.

Jonathan

PS: We also have a bar bag with the extension bar screwed to the floor which wobbles as described above.

Witterings wrote:... I've just bought one water bottle that's taller than my others and won't fit within my frame...

Could you fit it below the down tube? That's where I carry my SIGG fuel bottle.

Would it fit within the frame if the cage moved a bit? I've used Topeak cage adjusters to do this:
https://www.topeak.com/global/en/products/ninja-series/1094-alt-position-cage-mounts
also discussed here:
https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?t=124874.

Jonathan

Great advice on finding the cause.

andrew_s wrote:It's good practice to line up the tyre label with the valve. Then, when you find the hole in the tube, you can line up the tube with the tyre, valve to label, and identify where in the tyre the sharp object is lurking. It's much quicker and easier to carefully examine 3 or 4 inches of tyre than it is the whole thing. Just take care not to turn either the tyre or tube round, otherwise you may be inspecting at 4 o'clock when it should be 8 o'clock.

I hadn't thought of using the label. I mark the position of the valve on the tyre using the wax crayon from the repair kit. Then when I've found the hole in the tube I align the tube on the rim and on the tyre in order to know where to look. Have to keep the sides consistent as above. Same result.

Jonathan

It's a great trip.

We went from Oxford:
Sleeper train from London to Glasgow, train to Oban, ferry to Barra. Cycled up the islands. Ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool. Cycled to Inverness (actually to a little station just before). Sleeper train back.

No tents. Range of accommodation including Gatliff Hostels:
http://www.gatliff.org.uk/the-gatliff-trust/

Be prepared for wind, rain and midges. But we were lucky and had none of the latter two. : - )

Jonathan

We're interested in touring Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and maybe a bit of Poland if that helps.

I see more and more commercially organised bike trips, but we'd prefer to do it on our own and especially without van connections. Probably a mix of camping and hostels and hotels.

Any experiences, advice, web sites, books or routes, please? Or links to a thread that I've missed!

Thanks

Jonathan

DSProffitt wrote:Now I have to work out how to get my bike up to Andermatt on the train without a bike box :/

We did this in the summer. Trains to Portsmouth. Overnight ferry. Drove the bikes in a rented car from Le Havre to Mulhouse. Cycled to Basel. Trains up from Basel and stayed overnight in Andermatt, then took the train to Oberalppass the next morning.

Jonathan

PS: We used the GPX routes that come with the Cicerone guide.

We've just had the same problem.

After a lot of communication with the factory which was helpful but didn't solve it... we moved the clip along the guard. (There's a screw on the inside.) And now have enough clearance.

Jonathan

Creativity is welcome

I think it's going to involve a Dremel and some Araldite.

Jonathan

Most are close enough.

http://hub.chainreactioncycles.com/buyi ... ing-guide/

Jonathan

What are we seeing... a pedal spindle stuck in a crank?

After you've confirmed which way to undo you have three main weapons: force, penetrating fluid and heat.

Force needs a wrench that fits well and enough leverage. Some like to strike with a mallet, others like to increase the lever length. If the crank is still on the bike try a block of wood under it on the floor so that the force goes where you want.

Dedicated penetrating fluid is probably better than WD-40, although I've never found any decent studies. (See also petrol and Coke.) Give it an hour.

Heat is most conveniently applied with a hot air gun. Check what else might get damaged eg painted surfaces. Some like to add downshock with cold water.

Jonathan

These devices are notoriously fussy about USB connections and cables. But it doesn't sound as if that's the problem.

Have you done a factory reset?

Garmin UK support is pretty good: https://support.garmin.com/en-GB/.

Jonathan

Very pleased with the X-Tools Essential, as reviewed above: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/x-tools-essent ... rench-set/.

But NB you won't have it with you on the road so it's a good idea to calibrate your wrist against it for all of the fasteners of those proliferating carbon and aluminium bits.

Jonathan

I have the same problem on the tourers so I use extension bars for the secondary lights, speedometer, GPS, bell etc.

Then the bag goes on the handlebars. There are extension bars for handlebar bags that will carry lights, but they've always looked too wobbly.

Jonathan

I wouldn't use an unbranded rack.

Jonathan

PS: Why do you prefer a rack and bag to a handlebar bag for "a few bits and pieces"?