6th January 2014

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Monday 6th 38F, 4C, windy, overcast, raining. The early rain is supposed to peter out to showers. Possible clearing up in the afternoon. Gusting to over 30mph all day. I'd better wait a while to see what happens. It let up mid afternoon so, finally,  I headed off into the fading light. Only for it to start tipping down again. Only 7 miles, with lights, no walk.

Tuesday 7th 47F, 8C, incredibly mild, very windy, overcast but dry so far. Had an hour's walk around waterlogged fields. Rain forecast for all afternoon. Went shopping and punctured on the way back. Couldn't be bothered to change the tube beside the main road so kept pumping the tyre at intervals to get home. The Lezyne alloy mini pump works remarkably well using an overhand motion. Though one would need to be careful where one did this to avoid a case of road rage amongst the guilty paranoid!

With the wind  blowing a gale at 45 degrees it was very hard work coming home. 15 miles. It is still dry at 4.30pm but let's not complain.

I repaired the flat tyre with a new tube. There were a lot of small flints buried deep in the tread surface. I patiently picked them all out with an awl just in case they decided to bury themselves more deeply. But (yet again) I could find none that had actually penetrated.  Not even when I could accurately locate the puncture in the tube relative to the tyre. It helps to always place specific tyre labels beside the valve to ensure the inner tube and tyre positions can be compared. It is possible to have two punctures simultaneously. With a second going unnoticed even in a water bath once the first one is found.

I don't remember the last set of Durano tyres showing remotely so much damage even after far greater mileages. So perhaps Schwalbe suffer from major material variations as much as Continental do with their 4000S? The rubber really does seem to soften in wet weather. So comparing them with tyres run only over a dry summer may offer completely different results.

Wednesday 8th 45-46F, 7-8C, breezy, overcast. Showers possible. I went for a walk after an early shower. Still grey and windy but dry at coffee time. Still dry at lunchtime after a ride to Assens. Headwind going tailwind coming back. 19 miles.

Thursday 9th 42F, 6C, very windy, raining and overcast. Rain forecast for most of the day with the wind gusting to 40mph. It doesn't look very promising. Winter arrives next week. It blew and rained hard for my hour's walk. I wasn't very waterproof but remained comfortable in some recycled waterproofs which I had originally bought for cycling. Hardly a problem when I was still near home. It's blowing harder and tipping down now. Windier and wetter still! A rest day.

Friday 10th 42F, 6C, cloudy and windy with showers and brighter periods. It stayed dry but windy for my walk. The fields, woods and tracks are getting wetter and wetter with minor flooding in places. Two shopping rides today for a total of 23 miles. Still very windy with the trees and hedges roaring. I keep hearing Jays in the woods but don't usually see them.

Saturday 11th 43F, 6C, overcast, breezy. Rain forecast for most of the day. It was already spitting when I left for my walk and slowly increased without becoming silly. I cut through the woods to avoid being exposed to the wind and the rain. There I caught sight of a Jay in flight as it squawked raucously just above me on its way to hide in some conifers.

The first ShiftMate has just been dropped into my postbox. The reason it didn't turn up? It took its summer holidays in Australia! How on earth does a registered packet get sent so far off course? Why did it never register in the British Post Office track and trace system? Why did it take six weeks to be delivered? Now I'll have to return it and I bet it is a flawless example. Without all the dents like the one which came last. Bøøger!

The light was fading as the rain died out.  I was overtaken by a convicted drunk/ registered blind/ incurably insane/ banned  driver with advanced dementia at the end of a long wide straight. The old fart brushed past only two feet from my handlebars with no oncoming traffic anywhere to be seen. I had three 1/2W 'Smart' flashing red lights showing. One on the seat tube and one on each rear axle. I was wearing a bright green-yellow, day-glo Aldi jacket with highly reflective safety strips and a large bright pink sports bag hanging at the rear. It wasn't even properly dark yet.

As usual I was monitoring overtaking traffic on their approach in my Zefal Cyclop mirror. This old clown completely failed to change direction as he caught up with me.

Fortunately I was passing a wide farm entrance and was able to avoid being mown down by using their concrete drainage channel. Only 7 miles. Nearly my last. How unfortunate that my HDR-15 Sony Action Cam is complete crap in anything but bright sunlight. Nor when it is steamed up in its diving case. Otherwise I could have had a number plate to share on YouTube.

Sunday 12th 37F, 3C, breezy, clear sky. The forecast is windy at first with a few showers. Bright but cool in the wind for my walk. Three young deer and an adult were approaching the same corner of a field as I sneaked along the hedge at right angles hoping for some pictures. The hedge was far too dense to take a picture through it but I was downwind with the sun behind me. First one, and then another young deer popped out of the corner, stared at me and then vanished. At full zoom on my Lumix TZ7 I wasn't really expecting much. This was the best shot despite the daft thing pretending to be a three legged stool. It had four legs in all the other pictures. Perhaps it was surprised I only wanted a picture instead of blowing its head off with a double barrelled cannon.

It stayed dry and bright but windy for my ride to the shops.I was cruising at 16-20 mph going. There I was robbed by the Coop/Super Brugsen. Two special offers but they tried to charge me much more. I had to queue four times to get a refund and that was like getting blood out of a stone! What a shame Denmark has no consumer protection laws. I remember shops in the UK being massively fined for charging more at the till than the displayed price. That was decades ago. It happens all the time over here. To visit a Danish supermarket is to be robbed. Or denied the advertised goods. Hard work coming home uphill, fully laden and into a cold headwind. The ShiftMate is performing better now. It seems to respond to smaller variations on the cable adjuster than without the device. Only 16 miles.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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The Jtek ShiftMate No4 finally arrives!

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The Jtek Engineering ShiftMate No4 finally arrived from St John's St Cycles after waiting 40 days and 40 nights from my initial order. Less than half the length of my little finger and weighing a mere few grams, the ShiftMate arrived in a box of about 10" x 5" x 5". More to follow when I get a chance to fit the ShiftMate. I'll take some decent photos tomorrow in daylight.

It is a remarkably small, light and smart little mechanism. It works by using two pulleys of different diameters which are machined from one solid piece of metal. So no slippage is possible between the pulleys . Around these two grooved diameters is wrapped the gear change cable. A flat is machined on one side of the pulleys to allow the cable to "cross over" between the two different diameters. The cable being wrapped twice around the pulleys. The pulleys run on a miniature, rubber sealed, journal bearing hidden and protected within the ShiftMate mechanism's body.

The difference in the two pulley diameters effectively changes the pull per click ratio of the gear change lever. It can thus be used to match a lever to another "alternative" gear changer and cassette. By this clever method (and the correct choice of pulley wheels) almost any gear lever, cassette and changer combination can be made to work.

The twin pulleys can be easily reversed by removing the centre screw to increase or reduce the pull per click. A whole range of pulleys are manufactured to cater for different combinations of gear lever, cassette and changer. The supplied chart lists 4 pulley sets offering no less than 29 lever/ changer/ cassette options! These are almost entirely different combinations of Campagnolo and Shimano products. Only Sram is largely ignored.

The most obvious use of the ShiftMate is when indexed gears would hop over, or fall short of the required lateral chain movement, when changing gear. The more gears involved the smaller the possible error before gear changing becomes a nightmare. In my own case it was the 4th largest sprocket which could not be reliably selected using a 10sp Ultegra rear changer and a 10sp cassette controlled by Campagnolo Ergo 11 speed levers.

With the trike up on the work stand and the ShiftMate in place I was able to click solidly from gear to gear without hesitation. The previous problem with the 4th sprocket seemed to have vanished.

One slight oddity is that the ShiftMate mechanism has a flat machined on the low end of the body where the gear cable exits. This flat rests against a supplied nipple which is inserted into the rear gear changer, cable adjuster. The flat on the bottom of the body makes the rest angle rather critical. This angle is controlled by the angle of the rear changer itself of course. But also by the short length of cable housing (outer) between the ShiftMate mechanism and the usual chainstay cable stop.

Since the mechanism "bends" the cable approach to the rear changer by quite a large angle there is no longer a need for the usual high cable curve to ensure low friction. The shallow curve of the cable can be seen in the attached image. (More images to follow in better light)

If the machined flat does not lie tightly against the nipple then there is space for cable slack which alters with cable tension. It might have been better if the bottom of the housing had also been bored like the top. Then a longer nipple could physically join the body to the rear changer's cable adjuster to remove the potential cable slack from any rest angle error.

Even when the cable was tensioned as hard as I could pull with my hand there was still slack on the bare length running beside the trike's down tube. I took out the slack with the cable adjusters but it still needs work to avoid a dead click when changing from top gear. I may need to shorten the curved outer slightly more.

I don't think there is any risk of damage to the rear changer or the ShiftMate from a more rigid fixing between the two. There should be enough flexibility in the final length of outer cable. The rear changer can also rotate about its pivot screw. I'll see how things look when I shorten the cable outer slightly more tomorrow. The image alongside shows how close the pulleys are to the trike's reinforcing loop. This would never occur on a bike.

I think you will agree from these initial images (taken in half light under a heavily overcast sky) that the device is very compact and really quite attractive in appearance. While the success of its gear changing ability is the the main criterion the unit cannot be said to mar the appearance of any cycle. It is certainly a fine match for my (rather filthy) R931 stainless steel trike. Though one wonders how long the device will keep up its pretty appearance without detailed cleaning. We shall have to see how it copes with salt spray from winter roads, . I can see the rust coming through even on the chromed axles of the Shimano SPD pedals.

The only real disappointment with the device is the cosmetic "ding" on the edge of the machined body. The ShiftMate is priced at £38  plus P&P by SJS. At this price level (and over a month's delay) I would really have expected cosmetic perfection. Fortunately the damage is quite difficult to see in normal use on a trike because of the rear wheels. It would be very obvious if it was fitted to a bike. The damage must have been perfectly visible before packing in bubble wrap and air bags within the cardboard box. It certainly didn't happen in transit. Perhaps they didn't believe that I hadn't received the first one? So were unwilling to trust me with a blemish free "second"?

The first ShiftMate never arrived and their quoted track and trace number never registered on the Royal Mail website. When this was pointed out to them at SJS Cycles they asked that I wait (for nearly a month!) before contacting them again regarding non-delivery. I consider this totally unacceptable behaviour from any online dealer. Non-registration of a tracking number from day one should have sounded instant alarm bells that something was very wrong. Either with their own despatch system or their delivery agent's!

This one arrived via UK ParcelForce and GLS five days after despatch including the weekend. Three to four working days is normal for packet delivery from the UK to Denmark. Tracking on the Royal Mail website consisted of an unchanging "In progress". Only when I checked the GLS website did I get the full tracking details. The reason the original didn't turn up? See below:

On the first ride it seemed that the gears were shifting much better when moving the chain to the smaller sprockets. Less precise coming back to the lower gears. (Larger rear sprockets)  I put this down to remaining slackness in the cable. Tightening the down tube cable adjuster resulted in a mess. With all the former precision changes gone. Slackening off again did not reproduce the desired effect. I was having to double click to get some lower gears.

I'll just have to put the trike back on the stand and have another fiddle. There must be some difference between letting cable go slack and reeling it back in again. This suggests backlash in the system is spoiling the symmetry of the cable length when going up and down the gears.

After the final length of outer was clipped a little shorter the change seemed a bit more crisp. I played with the cables adjusters a little and left them in the best position. It occurred to me while I was changing up and down the gears that the adjusters don't alter the cable tension. They change the cable's nominal position or length. The tension remains the same throughout the range of cable movement since it applied by the spring on the changer. Indexing results from the cable being let out and rewound in accurate steps. The changer doesn't care how the steps are applied and is incapable of stepping itself.  The cable length slightly alters the lateral position of the changer at any one point in its travel depending on the gear selected.

The present position is that the chain is probably quite worn. Which is affecting the gear change. I just tried the chain measuring tool and a new chain should really be fitted soon.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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January 1st 2014

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Happy New Year!
I hope you like the new format.

Wednesday 1st 39F, 4C, breezy at times, heavy overcast, early rain drying up to a few puddles. As is my habit I went for a ride on my trike. Saw a couple of riders out training and we exchanged seasons greetings on the fly. Several cars passed with mountain bikes attached to rear racks. Presumably heading for a New Year competition somewhere.  The laced B17 saddle is still pleasingly comfortable. I really wish I had tried this sooner.

A nearly all-white woodpecker crossed my path and landed on a tree right beside the road. Presumably a Lesser spotted rather than the big chaps [Great spotted] we often see in our garden. A buzzard passed low overhead but I don't think it saw me as potential lunch.

I ran a rag over the Trykit to clean off the slight accumulation of  winter crap. Thanks to the excellent Crud front mudguard and Reynolds R931, stainless steel frame, cleaning is now only rarely required. It seems obvious, but a front mudguard is beneficial in so many different ways. Of course it keeps one's feet dry but it also offers the ability to cross puddles and run-off without a qualm. This freedom should not be underestimated in traffic. Where one does not wish to swerve nor brake hard with nowhere to go. The long and slender Crud has proved an excellent purchase.

A 'normal' mudguard rattles, catches the wind and is usually rather heavy thanks to the metal stays. Tempting one to either leave it off permanently. Or to remove it again at the earliest opportunity when fitted. Which leaves one open to a drenching in unpredictable weather. Not so with the Crud RR Mk2. It has become such a desirable feature that I had quite forgotten its presence. The avoidance of the crust of road filth underneath the down tube and bottom bracket makes it even more worthwhile. With billions of slugs dying on the roads each year the muck was often difficult to remove without mechanical aid. On a painted, steel frame this inevitably removed the finish and vital rust protection. Not to mention the crap which adhered to the gear cables. 16 miles.

Thursday 2nd 39F, 4C, breezy and overcast with rain expected all morning. It never stopped raining all day. As there was no pressure to go out I took a rest day. SJS Cycles tell me they have sent another Shiftmate. This one actually registered on Royal Mail track and trace!

Friday 3rd 40F, 4C, overcast, breezy. Windy with rain forecast after lunch. An hour's walk in a stiff wind but it stayed dry. Then a heavy shopping trip for 17 miles. It tipped down in wind blown sheets on the way home. Fortunately I had worn the Aldi jacket and my overshoes in anticipation.

Saturday 4th 42F, 6C, windy, overcast but dry. Walked for an hour and a half through soggy fields and woods. Rain is forecast for later so I'd better not hang about if I'm to avoid it. It didn't rain. I saw a surprising number of birds of prey today.  The rear gear changer cable broke 10 miles from home! I whipped out my trusty old Mechano screwdriver to adjust the Ultegra Hi screw. Though I only  managed to get the chain onto the 3rd smallest cog when it was screwed right in. Still not a lot of fun in such a high gear on a hilly route into a headwind. 20 miles.

Replacing the cable was easy enough provided the small gear change lever had been pressed repeatedly to put the lever mechanism in top gear. (I had already moved the chain onto the top gear sprocket) The old cable was badly frayed where it had broken about 2" from the nipple. This would put the damage at the lever cable exit where it joins the outer on the bars. Without removing several layers of handlebar tape I wasn't going to be able to examine this area properly. The outer fits in a deep hole in the lever body anyway.

The Campag outer sleeve, (longitudinal) core wires were also rusted (?) off at an angle where the outer fits into the down tube adjuster. I snipped the end off straight with the cable cutters before threading the new inner cable through. Oiling the adjuster sockets regularly may help since water collects here as it runs down the cables. A small puddle was still sitting in the adjuster body socket from yesterday's rain.

I need to find a neat way of tidying up the long length of spare computer able. I have it wrapped loosely around the brake and gear cables and it looks very scruffy and amateur. I didn't have any luck with a wireless bike computer and the cadence models are very silly money. I removed the Cateye Cadence head and discovered a white mess in the shoe and on the back of the computer. It looked like bird shit but how would it get there? I kept getting intermittent readings so had recently polished the contacts with a clean cloth. It wasn't visible dirty last time. All very odd.

I found a 3W rechargeable diode headlamp very useful for working on the trike in the semi-darkness of the shed. It would make a very decent front light for the trike provided the weight of the battery pack wasn't a hindrance. Though the manufacturer says it is not officially approved for cycle use. Presumably they mean that it hasn't been examined by the regulating authorities and given a pass. I can't see how the broad spread of light would be a serious disadvantage in visibility on the road. Though the lamp body could take a simple collar to narrow down the floodlight beam if necessary. A bit of PVC plumbing tube would probably do.

Sunday 5th 39F, 4C, overcast, calm. Rain promised for late morning. I have to reach a shop about ten miles away which has a 10am opening time. So the Aldi jacket may come in handy again. I'd better check the gears with the trike up on the work stand before leaving. No time for a proper walk and it is still quite dark now at 8.30am. I was allowed early coffee and rolls after checking the gears and then trundled off at about 9.30.

It was spitting with rain most of the way there and gradually increased to steady rain after the shops. As I was already wet but not particularly uncomfortable I detoured for a more hilly route back to the last village shop. By which time I was really quite wet but not particularly bothered. I'd forgotten my Aldi jacket and could feel my winter jacket leaking cold at the shoulder seams. Even one of my Dintex gloves began to feel a bit damp inside but it may have been because of inserting a wet hand. 26 soggy miles. The sun came out just after I put the trike away and headed indoors. It is brightening up nicely now!

Click on any picture for an enlargement.

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