togglechaintour bikes

[GrahamNR17]

i also find the downtube lever mightily inconvienient

So why not mount it on the bars?

the trigger is one of the most user friendly things ever invented.

Yep, Sturmey really got that one right

[MikewsMITH2]

I found the 5 speed on the Moulton finicky to adjust TBH. Hence I had no first gear on day 1 of TCT1. Eventually when the cable had finished stretching and I got it adjusted perfectly it stayed fine forever. The shift is not as good as an AW or even an FW and nowhere near as good as Shimano STIs which need the merest touch to shift perfectly (that one is for Tim), but then again at £200 for a pair of shifters & brake levers they bloody well ought to be good!

[GrahamNR17]

I found the 5 speed on the Moulton finicky to adjust TBH. Hence I had no first gear on day 1 of TCT1. Eventually when the cable had finished stretching and I got it adjusted perfectly it stayed fine forever. The shift is not as good as an AW or even an FW and nowhere near as good as Shimano STIs which need the merest touch to shift perfectly (that one is for Tim), but then again at £200 for a pair of shifters & brake levers they bloody well ought to be good!

Strange how it's only the pervert's with dangly parts that get STIs

[MikewsMITH2]

Strange how it's only the pervert's with dangly parts that get STIs

AFAIK You've never seen my dangly parts - impressive as they are. At least I have a matched pair (of STIs that is)

[hubgearfreak]

So why not mount it on the bars? :

because some expert or other said to minimize the amount of outer used. i've minimized it to nothing this way, to see where the problem lies.

[robc02]

I replaced the necessary parts of my 2 cable 5 speed with the post 1988 parts. It seems to work OK - I tested it by riding around the village in bottom gear with the brakes on and it didn't slip. Not the best test, but all I had time for. The bike is now loaded up for its camping trip starting later today.

Here it is:

[GrahamNR17]

So why not mount it on the bars? :

because some expert or other said to minimize the amount of outer used. i've minimized it to nothing this way, to see where the problem lies.

Oh, you don't want to be listening to experts Still, I suppose you've eliminated cables now, so you can go back to a trigger

[GrahamNR17]

I replaced the necessary parts of my 2 cable 5 speed with the post 1988 parts. It seems to work OK - I tested it by riding around the village in bottom gear with the brakes on and it didn't slip. Not the best test, but all I had time for. The bike is now loaded up for its camping trip starting later today.

Here it is:

Tourer1.JPG

Tourer2.JPG

That's a useful looking bit of kit, Rob Interesting how you've managed to find a front chainring the size of a rear sprocket

[reohn2]

robc02
That saddlebag load looks a bit suspect,a lot of weight on that seatpost mount

[GrahamNR17]

The amazing part is the Brooks B67 is comfortable!!!

I am relieved to announce that after a 30-miler yesterday, the B67 has proved to be as comfortable as my other Brooks - FAFFING DREADFUL!

Normal service is thus resumed

[robc02]

robc02
That saddlebag load looks a bit suspect,a lot of weight on that seatpost mount

It's bulky rather than heavy. On top of the saddlebag is a sub 1kg tent, a sleeping bag and a cape. Plus, I am only just over 10 stones so the load on the seatpost is quite small. Carradice quote quite a high figure for the loading on the SQR.

I'll let you know for sure next week!

[robc02]

Interesting how you've managed to find a front chainring the size of a rear sprocket

"Find" is the operative word. The only spare 175mm chainset I had in my shed was an MTB one. The only chainring postion that gave acceptable chainline was the middle one and the only chainring that would fit in that position was the MTB 32T. Believe it or not, despite being the same PCD, the middle and outer rings are not interchangeable as the "ledge" they sit on is slightly different.

[hubgearfreak]

That's a useful looking bit of kit, Rob

yes very nice. but those are tiny pedals

[robc02]

I'm back from my trip up the length of Wales - based on th Lon Las Cymru routes.

Considering what a lash up my bike was - built from odds and ends not bought for touring - it worked very well. All 5 gears worked , though I had to tighten the right indicator more than expected to stop occasional slipping in second. The cable ended up completely tight in bottom.

The rear drum brake developed a "snatch" when first applied, but was OK for long applications - and a good job too! This started after an afternoon of heavy braking on long descents. I have now lightly rubbed down the inside of the drum and the friction material and it seems better.

The bike handled superbly on long and twisty descents; completely stable and predictable. I'm sure that's thanks to its substantial construction - 2600ish grams of Raleigh's finest cheap steel The descents of the Gospel Pass and the mountain road between Llanidloes and Machynlleth were a real joy.

Climbs were a different story. The 34inch bottom gear was not low enough for some of the hills and I had to walk in three or four places (Do Sturmey Archer specify a minimum gear before the hub breaks?)

The ..err.. unusual nature of my bike and its luggage attracted quite a bit of attention from other cyclists. Outside a tea shop in Portmadog we were accosted by three separate people wanting to discuss the wisdom of my choice of transmission, gearing and certain other features of my machine!

[robc02]

yes very nice. but those are tiny pedals

They complement the tiny chainring