27.05.2023 Broken Moustache Friday 27FS prop stand, continued.

 ~o~

 Saturday 27th 41F. Bright and clear. Waiting for sunrise. Up at 3.45. Dreaming about my wife again.

 I have wasted hours online. Searching for a replacement prop stand for my Moustache e-bike. The only stockist I can find online is in the UK. With Brexit, that means I'll have to pay three times as much to get it here. Moustache has used a unique fitting for the prop stand. 

Online reviews of the Moustache 'Friday' talk about the wobbly stand. It is impossible to fit a centre stand because of the rear suspension. The wheel fills the entire space of the chainstay fork with very little clearance. 

 When I asked the Danish Moustache dealer they wanted me to send them a picture. So they know what they are looking for!!! They ignored my last email requesting a replacement under guarantee! Not even a response!

 I have now sent them four pictures of the broken prop stand bracket and await their response. [Again!] 

Meanwhile, I shall visit the bike shop in town to see if they can help. The manager is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Such a heavy bike without a prop stand is difficult to use. It can't be leaned against anything without risking the paintwork. The mirror and levers on the handlebars make it fragile. So parking becomes very difficult. The tires are far too fat to go in any bike rack so far. 27.5 x 2.4.

 9.45 14C/58F. I went back to bed and slept well. I have since been preparing the e-bike and myself. Morning coffee over. No walk so far.

 12.30 17C/63F. Returning from a 1h:50m ride time into town with detours. Sadly the bike shop couldn't help with the prop stand. 45km at an average of 25km/hr. I was overtaken on a main road by a convoy of motorcycles. It was quite safe but rather intimidating. Another lovely day. With constant sunshine. I chased a fit young, racing cyclist back from the village. He was averaging 32km/hr on his carbon steed without effort. I was in Sport mode and working hard against the wind. I needed Turbo mode to catch him. It's all about wind resistance and my being an old fart.

 The unused B17 "Special" was truly awful! Though I noticed instantly that there was no more resistance at the tops of my thighs. It was all sit bone pain almost from the start. Like sitting on a small, round rock and pedaling hard! Even as I sit here on my padded computer chair. Fitted with a soft cushion. My sit bones are still hurting!

 I'll have to put the black, broad gauge saddle back on.  It is far more comfortable than anything else I have tried so far. It is odd how its springs don't seem to do anything. Until I ride a saddle without springs. The narrower, B17 saddle form is also available with springs. Though, again, it is intended for a rider leaning forwards. Not sitting [almost] bolt upright. 

 Ideally, I need something in between, on width, but with more delta shoulders. To avoid the hard front edges of the black saddle on the thigh/buttock line. I wonder if tightening the wide saddle slightly would soften or lower the front edges? The flat top can be pushed downwards with normal finger strength. So there is probably room for more tension. The Contec appears to be a Brooks B67 in every detail. Borrowed from a Danish sales website:  

• Type: Brooks B67
• Kørestilling: 60º Rider lean angle.
  
• Farve: Sort  Colour: Black.
  
• Længde: 26 cm Length.
  
• Bredde: 20,5 cm Breadth.
  
• Højde: 7,3 cm   Height.
  
• Vægt: 850 gram Weight.
  
• Understel: Stål  Steel frame.

  17.00 18C/65F. I seem to have discovered the problem. The leather top of the wide Contec saddle was completely slack. I used a hex key on the nose bolt and managed several turns before the leather took on any tension. A test ride up and down the drive confirmed a great improvement. I was unaware of my sit bones while riding on the Contec. The front "shoulders" now seem to have sunk relative to the new [raised] surface level. 

 Previously, I must have been sitting in the equivalent of a bowl of slack leather. This raised the front "shoulders" relative to the sunken top. Which was weighed down by my sit bones pressing in the middle. "Shoulders" feels like the wrong term. If the saddle were a delta jet it would be the "leading edges" of the wings. 

 19.00 16C/61F. It is 23C/73F at my computer chair but I had to put on a thick jumper and fleece trousers. Just to stop myself from shivering. Perhaps there's a draught. I keep feeling cold despite the elevated, indoor temperatures. Slight headaches as well.

  The choice of dinner now looms. I bought some more chicken and mushrooms but do I really want that? I had toast yesterday. So that is not allowed again.

 In the end I went with cheese on toast. Then kept falling asleep all evening. 

 ~o~