Thursday, March 3, 2016

Still in Sydney

Still about in Sydney. Not been doing an awful lot.  A lot of reading.  Some walking.  Sprained my ankle yesterday rock hopping, so definitely a lot more reading for the next few days.

Under a tree I pass often
Some stuff on the bike.

Pedals: The wooden pedals from last update didn't last long at all. Not only did they destroy the plastic pedals underneath, they kept getting in the way when pushing the bike. I like the idea, but it needs some more work.  Currently have a salvaged set of VP-559 flat pedals that work really well with my minimal footwear. They'll probably not last long as the bearings are on the way out. But until then...

Seat: Luckily I've gotten used to the saddle now. It can stay.

Rack: The ebay seller, gave me a 50% refund. Was okay with that. But notice, they (and other sellers) still have the rack advertised with 25kg (or more!) weight limit. Guess not many buyers complain.

Brakes:  Scavenged some better brake arms. And all is silent now. So happy with that. The original brake arms were just pressed steel plate - 2D. The new ones are cast - 3D. They also fit better on the brake posts - a lot less movement.

Now I'm up against the next limit on better braking; the plastic brake body on the handlebars. Its problem is that it bends. The lever is aluminium, but the body that it attaches to is plastic. Pull the lever, the brakes press on the rim, pull harder, and the body bends towards the handlebars. So there is a limit to how much pressure you can apply. But it will be okay. Just need to keep the brakes well adjusted.

Tires: Decided to get Schwalbe Marathon Tour Plus again. The rear tire is smooth already, after about 500km. I've had one puncture, and that is just going to get worse as time goes on. Decided I don't like mending punctures at all, so, going back to tires that I know and love.