Technical Details for the LHT

There are many technical details related to the LHT that I have gathered from the Surly site. It is important that I keep them copied here, because once this model is phased out they might remove all the data from the site.

One of the important things to know is the brand of spoke they use. Important because it is not mentioned anywhere on their site, though every other component is mentioned in detail with their respective brands. Not even on the spoke itself :-) So I asked Surly and they answered back on their site.

These are DT Swiss Champion spokes. I have no idea about the size. Apparently the spoke size is different for the two sides of the rear wheel. Now, there are two spare spokes provided. I wonder which side they are meant for, because they are identical. The spoke diameter is 2.4.

I asked them another question about the official name of the colour. It's "Grandpa's thermos" . This answer to my specific question is also given on the site by the company. Well it is not. But Surly is also not wrong. When I asked the question I had assumed I had a current model of LHT. Turned out it was a 2014 model. The correct name of the colour is Khakipants. Actually, this is the colour I wanted in the first place. Anyway, whatever the name of the colour I love it. There is a code number associated with this colour for later reproduction. I will hunt that out. It is RAL 7034.  

The frame was made in 2014. No wonder Happy Earth offered a big discount on the bike and a few  bolts on the bosses of the frame were so tight. The year of manufacture is derived from the frame number stamped on the non-drive side of the bottom bracket. M14090861. That's my frame number. The first two numbers after M is the year of manufacture.

July 2020

The other day while taking the kickstand and plates off the bike to clean I found some black marks on the frame where the plates are mounted. Evidently the paint had chipped off exposing the primer applied underneath. I got a bit worried. I asked the Surly official facebook page about this and whether one should be worried. They said this is a super strong ED coating given on the frame before powder coating it. The frame as such is not yet exposed. So it should not be a cause of concern. I agreed and the matter stands closed. I cannot be molly coddling the bike. I will take as much care as is feasible but beyond a point just as my body bears many marks of cuts and bruises (results of an adventurous and naughty youth), including two broken front teeth and long cut marks on both the sheens, my bike will also carry a few marks of action, so to speak, if necessary ;-) 

The Brakes

My bike comes with one of the simplest brakes imaginable in today's world. I kept it simple so that I can service it, if need be, on the road. It's called the cantilever smooth post rim brake with a straddle carrier. To see the Park Tool video on adjusting such brakes click here . 

The Spokes & Nipples

I had asked Surly about it. What is the size of the wrench needed for tightening my spokes. They said  in an official answer it's 3.2 mm.

Ornaments for the LHT

List of various items purchased for the LHT

March 19, 2019 - In anticipation of the Darjeeling trip, I pulled the trigger on a pair of Kool Stop brake pads also.  The online reviews of the model are very reassuring. Bums on The Saddle, Bangalore is the preferred supplier at Rs 1200 each pair plus Rs 100 for shipping. So a total damage of Rs 2500. I was a little confused about which brake pads to opt for. I had thought I could just change the rubber on the stock Tektro that everyone online says are pretty useless. BOTS's Gautam told me the Kool Stop upgrade demands you change the holder and the rubber both. Kool Stop rubber may not fit the Tektro holder (I am assuming they are called holders).

Kool Stop has various types of brake pads. My brakes are called Cantilever Threaded Post type. Gautam advised me to go for Kool Stop V-Type Holder W/Dual Compound Inserts. That's the official name of the model I opted for. The dual compound is supposed to work great in both dry and wet conditions. We shall see how true that is in the hills. But they are certainly bigger than the Tektros.

I intend to carry the Tektro brakes that came stock with my bike as a back up. Jyotisko Biswas, who has done a marathon trans-Himalayan bike ride last year told me that it is possible to burn the brake pads if you don't stop frequently during the sharp descents.

I have to see how good I am at changing the brake pads. Have seen all the videos that are there on youtube on the subject. Let the pads arrive and then I shall see how good they are. Otherwise will have to call Someswar.

March 18, 2019 - Pulled the trigger on the Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour tyres. Two of them. For the front and the back. From Bums on The Saddle, Bangalore Size 26x175. Supplier is BOTS at Rs 4020 each. So a straight Rs 8040 debited from the credit card. Actually I always aspired to have them, given the rave reviews I have read about them from actual users and world tourers. But I deferred the decision so far thinking they are too expensive for me. They are practically puncture proof, with a special coating inside. These are perhaps heavier and slower than normal tyres. But I would prefer not to replace a tyre on the roadside in the mountains over going a bit slower than the others.

I don't mind replacing tyres. It takes a few minutes and a little dirtied hands. But inflating a 26x1.75 tube on the roadside with a small pump is a punishment that I would hate to go through. Even after pumping for half an hour I would be damned if I could reach 30 psi. Perhaps a better pump would be a good upgrade to make some time in future.

The more the journey date for the Darjeeling trip comes forward the more I am getting worried about various thing. Somehow, Monisha said, if you think they are necessary you should go for them. So I did.

Let's see when they arrive. Will fit them to the bike and see how they feel. Will write a report after the journey.


March 3, 2019 - Rear carrier and Two Bottle Cages - Decathlon. Bought these to make my bike road trip worthy. Installed the bottle cages. They look fine on the bike, being black. More importantly, they can take in 1 litre water bottles. These are the really cheap bottle cages, if not the cheapest available in India. Decathlon had the other smarter looking ones like my Elite. But I am more than certain they wouldn't have been capable of holding the 1 lit bottles - a problem I have with the Elite cage as well. I think I will buy a third one too. The bottles fit in tight and I doubt if they will come off just like that due to road rattle.

I am yet to install the carrier. Possibly tonight. It's a small and compact carrier. But it should be able to do the job of carrying my 20 lit Deuter. As I realised, carrying the sack on the shoulder on mountain roads will not be feasible. It's a stupid thing to attempt really. I will have to do the assembly in Siliguri, which is fine. I don't think it's anything more than turning a few bolts. We have one full day in Siliguri.

February 14, 2019 - Bluemels SKS Commuter mudguards (26 1.6 to 2.1) and Axiom Elastic Cargo Net - Happy Earth -  Rs 2294 + Rs 4437. Bought these in preparation for the upcoming trip to Mirik. Was very disappointed with the way the box was packed and wrote a stinker to the shop. Lucky that nothing fell off. Also the fenders were imported (they are made in Germany) long ago and were obviously gathering dust on the shelves somewhere in their warehouse. I will try to install these on this Sunday and see how it goes. I found the fenders are imported by a company called Ozone Ventures in Pune.

The mudguards are made of a combination of materials - aluminium and plastic. It's a shiny black in colour and are very very light.


February 6, 2019 - Trek n Ride Cycle Carrying Sack (MTB version with wheels) - Amazon (Cloudtail) - Rs 3990. I bought this cycle carrying bag for the upcoming, planned tour to the Darjeeling hills with Rana. Our plan is to go to Siliguri by bus (ticket booked already). This will be needed for the journey to and from Silguri. In Siliguri I plan to leave this at the Exide office, to be collected back when I return.

There are other similar soft bags available with Btwin. Perhaps a little cheaper. I found the reviews bad. This bag has a plastic stiffener for the three sides - basically a strip of plastic that you insert into the sleeve pockets on the three sides (the fourth side has the chain). There are two wheels in a corner for easy pulling on level roads. There are two pockets on either side of the bag for the wheels. However, there is no padding as such on those pockets. I will have to cover the delicate parts separately and use foam tubes for the frame.

The bag seems fairly large but the material may not be very strong. I think it's larger than the cardboard boxes in which my cycles came. Haven't measured it precisely. It can be somewhat rolled up to make it slightly smaller and compact for storage (pic on the right - the way it arrived from Amazon) but nothing so small that you could carry it with your cycle. I don't think I want to store it in my flat here. I would prefer to keep it in our house in Metro Park and bring it over before a trip. But then that has its own risks again.

I will add more once I have done a practise loading of the bike into the bag and then after I come back from the trip. I have half a mind to get a couple of bags, rather sleeves with foam padding inside, made for the wheels.

The bag's features can be described here. Two pockets on either side for the wheels. Large enough for even 29 inch wheels I guess. There is a large pocket inside for keeping this and that. Then there is that stiffener (which will need to be taken out if you want to roll it like the picture above). There are two wheels for pulling along. There are handles for hanging the bag on your shoulder.

December 17, 2018 - Ice Toolz Trousers Clip - Amazon - Rs 290 - if you want to cycle with full pants or trousers, as one has to in winter, you need these clips. They are a safety precaution. I remember my uncles in Shantiniketan used to use them. Those days, these things used to be made of thin steel.

This one is plastic with a nice 3M reflector pasted. I checked it out with my office trousers. They fit just fine. I love the orange colour of IceToolz. It's their signature colour it seems, much like the KTM brand. The plastic looks and feels sturdy. What is important, and it cannot be judged right away, is for how long it remains tight enough. It might eventually get loose and wide with use and then start slipping away. How soon or late that happens is the question and the real test.

November 27/2018 - Pro Bike Gear Griffon Anatomic Fit Saddle - BOTS - Rs 7650 - pulled the trigger on the Griffon. Yet to pay because I ordered cash on delivery. I had always wanted to get for myself a Brooks. But there are mixed reports on that. Also getting a Brooks in India is such a difficult task. The reports on Griffon seem good. The brand is owned by Shimano.

Buying a saddle without riding it is always going to be taking a chance. Let me see how it goes. I went to the saddle selector that they have on their site. I declared myself as less flexible and they suggested the Griffon. They define flexibility as the ability to touch your toes from a sitting position with the legs extended. I can quite easily do that. But I chose less flexible because on the bike I prefer a more upright position. But I also prefer resting the arms in the middle of the handlebar, like in triathlon events. For that you need flexibility and strength of the core. Let me see how the saddle turns out. I have a feeling I will adjust my bum to it.

Downloaded from the net without permission

The price is on the higher side for a saddle. But I found BOTS was charging us same as Amazon US. That is when I pulled the trigger. Brooks is more expensive than this. But then it is an iconic brand and is loved by many in the touring community. The reasons why I didn't choose the Brooks are like this a. price b. availability c. uncertainty about its suitability for me.

I have never consciously chosen a saddle. Whatever my cycle came with, I made do with it. In fact in our childhood we didn't know that there were options and the seat could be changed :-) Those were very innocent times.

The stock saddle from Surly is not comfortable at all. The Merida stock, in comparison, has never caused a problem for me. Let me see how this goes.

There aren't too many online reviews by independent users on the internet. Whatever little is there seems to be endorsing it for less flexible riders. I have to wait and see whether I am a flexible rider. I saw a review by a long distance tourer. He is heavily in favour of Specialised Phenom. That is also available on BOTS and in fact cheaper than Griffon.

Monday December 10, 2018 The saddle finally arrived today at office. Paid by cash on delivery. At home I fitted it to the bike and went for a short spin around the Southern Market block. Perhaps less than 500 meters. This is too short a distance to pass a judgement on a saddle but after overcoming the initial phase of getting adjusted to something new, I felt it somehow improved my speed. Here is a decent unboxing video from the internet. Everything is same except that this does not have a cut out in the middle of the saddle.

I will jot down my initial thoughts and reactions.

• Hey, how is this different from what I have except for the big cut out in the middle? Same softness/hardness, same width, same shape, almost same dimensions
• But it is incredibly light compared to my OE saddle. Possibly 200 gms. 
• The ride is a little uncomfortable with no brief underneath ;-) I doubt if this saddle can be ridden without my Pearl Izumi compression shorts. I had gone out casually in my Slazenger which has a basic brief inside. But today I realised it is no protection at all.
• Could it be a little wider?
• Is it money well spent? Only time will tell me. 

I was a little cheesed off with BOTS for the delayed shipment. I missed two weekends since ordering but I guess it is good that it arrived on a weekday. I will go for short rides during the week before going out on a big one over the weekend. 

There was a little confusion about "what's inside the box". The official website of Pro Bike Gear has a short video featuring the product where they show an attachment under the saddle where you can fix a GoPro camera. I didn't get this. I was mentally very upset about it with BOTS. As it is they were so late and now they send incomplete product. But later in a youtube video (shared earlier) I realised this attachment has to be separately purchased from Pro Bike Gear. In fact they sell three different types of attachments. One for a camera, another for holding a tube and a CO2 cartridge and a third for holding the race bib. I don't need any of these actually :-)

I should be able to give a proper assessment of the saddle only after riding it for at least 500 kilometers. Let me see how long that takes. 

As of now I have fitted the saddle perfectly level with a spirit level. I have a feeling I might want to make it ever so slightly tilted above, so that I can settle on the back of the saddle. I think tonight I will go for a slightly longer test ride to see how the saddle actually feels.

Nov 1/2018 - MKS Sylvan Tourer (Silver colour) - Happy Earth - Rs 2854 - pair of pedals for LHT - Arrived and installed by self on 8th November (you turn wrench on the left pedal clockwise, while holding the other crank arm stable, to loosen it and then move the pedal forward. The pedal comes off. Opposite with right pedal. Push it counter clockwise first and then pedal forward to release.)

The pedals are made in Japan. This was news to me. They look and feel robust and they actually are. Riding them in flip flops might be injurious to the foot. The edges are not sharp but I am just not used to such heavy duty metallic pedals. I hope I never injure myself. I am wondering what to do with the cheap, small, plastic pedals. Guess, will keep them as a pair of spares for one of those very rare occasions when I might need them.

A little warning. I just got a long cut on my skin yesterday (2nd December 2018) when I went cycling to New Town. On EMBypass I had stopped for tea at a stall. The bike was resting with its pedal against the base of a lamp post in front of the shop. When I tried to pull it out to go, it somehow slipped and the pedal brushed against my right food shin bone while the bike fell on its opposite side - a very normal thing to happen when you are cycling or handling a cycle a little casually. I found there was a 2/3 inch long gash. Just the top layer. Micro mili meter perhaps. The pink skin underneath got exposed. No bleeding. I have to be very very careful from now on. It has the potential to seriously injure anyone. 

Nov 5/2018 - SRAM Super Cork Bar Tape (Black) - BOTS - Rs 940 - Handlebar tape - Arrived on 8th November. Installed by Someswar on 9th November 2018.  

I just took it out of the paper box it came in. No idea what they look like on the front side because the side with the plastic tape is visible as they have rolled it with the outside in. I believe the SRAM branding is written all over the tape. Wonder if I would like that aesthetically. The tape is made in Taiwan, as usual. (Added later - the branding is very subtle and hardly visible).

The tape comes with two extra bits to cover the area behind the brake lever. It also has some finishing tape. Someswar will fix it because I am not too sure I can do it the first time. I would love to see how he does it and then take a chance the next time I have to redo the thing. Once it is installed I shall write my first impressions.

Nov 10/2018 - Paid Someswar Rs 500 for checking out the cycle, adjusting the brakes, pedals etc and fixing the bar tape.

Nov 10/2018 - Schawlbe 26" tube - Giant store on Bentinck Street - Rs 400

Nov 10/2018 - KMC master link for 10 speed chain - Giant store on Bentinck Street - Rs 159

The LHT Arrives - A Journal From Day One

As on 12th November, 2018

The LHT arrived yesterday (5th November 2018). Mampu was home to receive it from Fedex. It was the auspicious day of Dhanteras. So in the fitness of things I got this latest toy on that day. Let's hope it brings wealth and prosperity to the family. I will truthfully write down my first impressions. 

The Surly bike came in a Merida cardboard box !!!! That was quite an anti-climax. Obviously Happy Earth has imported the cycles in bulk, in knocked down condition and didn't buy the branded boxes. That was a minor dampener. If I was Happy Earth I would probably get a few of my own branded boxes for this sort of situations. 

As on 6th November, 2018 evening 

Once I opened the box, the unprofessional and casual packaging of the bike was very evident all over. I have bought a factory packed Merida and know what a properly packed bike is. That professional touch in packing was missing. The brake levers were covered in plastic bubble wrap. I would have covered the bar end shifters also. The left hand bar end shifter possibly has a small scratch from the journey. The various tubes and chainstays etc were covered in card board sheets.

The colour of the bike didn't look like silver to me at all. I guess this is what they call is the "grandpa's thermos". That's the colour of the bike that is displayed on the official website right now. I had originally wanted the Khaki, which they said they don't have. I love this colour that they have sent me. I was okay with the idea of a silver LHT but this is certainly better. 

QR Skewer without end cap

The front wheel's skewer was lying on the floor of the box. The springs were also lying like two orphan babies. The end cap was missing. Ultimately I took the front skewer from my Merida and set up the bike.

More surprise was waiting for me on the handle. The handle did not have any bar tape. I was really surprised by this. I am fine if you don't put a tape over the handle. But then you inform me about it. 

I wrote to them about these two issues - missing end cap of the front skewer and no bar tape. They said while the bar tape is not put on the handle to let people adjust the brake angle and alignment, it should be in the box. I said it is not. They said they would send the skewer end cap and the bar tape. They were pretty apologetic about it. 

I am not terribly upset with the shop about these issues. I can understand that the mechanic who did the job of assembling the bike and packing it must be very novice. 

I noticed another thing. The decal on the non-drive side chain stay is smudged. I didn't really care about it. I would remove it in any case. It's an ugly graffiti kind of thing - "fff - fatties fit fine". I thought it was a joke saying the cycle is strong enough for fat people. Apparently it means the rim can take really fat tyres. 

Smudged Decal

I think Surly has too many decals all over the cycle. On seat stays, chain stays, top tube, down tube, seat tube, forks. I could do with one less, I gues. In fact the smudged decal looks nice and adds a character to the bike. 

Happy Earth has sent me two very cheap, small, plastic complimentary pedals. While I have ordered my own (MKS Sylvan), since they have not arrived I used the complimentary ones to learn how to install a pair of pedals. I used the Taparia adjustable wrench to install it. The problem is, the wrench's tooth is a little too fat for the purpose. Installing a pedal is a useful skill to learn if you want to transport the bike by air. 

View of the brake

The fit.
I was a little worried about the bike being too short for me. But I think it is just fine and I chose the right size of 52. Of course I have to ride it for sometime to pass a judgement but it didn't seem there would be any issue with the size. The standover height is just about adequate. The reach seemed fine too. 

I am a little overawed by the brakes. They are cantilever smooth action type. The rear brake pads are a little too close to the rim. I don't know how to adjust it. 

I asked Someswar to come and check the bike. He said he would come after the bar tape comes. I have already ordered for a black SRAM bar tape from BOTS. Whichever comes first goes up first. Someswar gave me some advice on how to adjust the brake pads. I shall try them today (right now I am at work). Advice number one is to adjust the barrel adjuster. Next is to tighten the adjustment nuts of the pads. 

November 7, 2018

It was a holiday at work today. It's the day after our Kali Pujo. Since it was very cloudy and then it started to drizzle as well, didn't go out with the bike in the morning. I took out all the bolts that are attached to various parts of the frame to accommodate water bottles, racks etc (I think they are called bosses but I could be wrong) and applied grease to them and put them back on. If I am not mistaken there were some 14 of them. This is touted as a major plus for the bike and most reviewers comment on it. A few of them were really tight and I had to apply a lot of pressure to unscrew them at first. I am glad I applied the grease. Read about the need to do it first thing after getting a new bike somewhere last night.

I also took out the seat post and applied some grease to it. That was last night, I suppose.

Last night I had also installed the black plastic Elite bottle cage. But I think the cage is too tight for my water bottles. I might need different bottle cages.

November 8, 2018

Today the balance items came from Happy Earth. A generic bar tape in black. There is no branding on the plastic packet. It has two chrome end caps. The SRAM (which I bought off BOTS) has finishing tape that this does not have. SRAM also has two strips that are meant for sticking behind the brake lever. This tape does not have all that.

They sent me an end cap for the front QR and two rubber dust caps for Presta valves. There is another small metallic ring that has come. I wonder what it is. Just checked. It is actually the nut that is used at the base of a Presta valve. Some people think it is useless. I think it has a good reason to be there.  It holds the valve against the rim and does not let it sink in when you are fixing the tube on the rim. Anyway, it is something extra that I did not ask for. Thanks anyway.

I also got the MKS Sylvan touring pedals today, bought from Happy Earth and installed them. Very robust, made in Japan pedals. I don't see them breaking down in a million miles.

Today, while taking off the plastic small pedal before installing the MKS I ripped off the thin plastic cover from the crank arm. I find there are many scratch marks on the crank arm. Once again poor practice at the shipping end, with no care taken to ensure no such injuries happen.

Front QR

Trying to install the QR I realised the key on the non-drive side of the bike cannot be turned like I do with my Merida. What I am used to is this - facing the bike, I hold the end cap steady with my left hand against the skewer and with the right hand I turn the end with the folding key. Once reasonably tight, I fold the key up.

I realised that this cannot be done with this skewer. It is fouling against the fork, rather the end of the fork where the wheel goes in and there is a notch (are they called dropouts? not sure). So after some scratching of head I decided to hold the key side steady and turned the end cap tight. Once tight, I folded the key up. That's a solution out of the immediate problem. I wonder if that is how it should be.

Someswar will come tomorrow. Must check it out with him.

November 9, 2018

Today Someswar came and fitted the black SRAM bar tape. Doesn't look very neat or professional. Nothing like the way my Merida came, which is my benchmark of a professional job. I saw it being done for the first time in life today. I think I will do a better job of it when I try my hand at it. We decided to put the SRAM on and keep the complimentary one that came from Happy Earth for later. The black end-tape that came with the packet is of pathetic quality. I guess I will have to procure some good quality black tape and tape the end portion up.

Someswar adjusted the brakes for me - both front and rear. I wonder how much I learnt.

He also checked the front QR and said this was fine. My worries about that are gone. He really loved the bike and said no one in Calcutta has such a bike :-) I knew this last bit. I checked the bike and how it fits inside the lift at home. It fitted fine, albeit a bit heavy.

The cockpit as on 9th Nov, 2018

In the evening I took off the Catseye Velo 7 from the Hero MTB and put it on my LHT. I chose the stem to mount the unit. It is stuck in a left to right orientation. I wanted to leave the handlebar free for other stuff like the light and other future things. I had to go to Kalpana and get a double sided sticker tape. I had a few spare black zip ties from Velo. I used four of them.

I am waiting to go for a short spin right now (waiting for the phone to charge fully and it's taking forever). I want to check the setting of the Velo. As far as I remember it was set to 26" because that's the wheel size in my Hero MTB (converted by Someswar). But I want to check it with my Strava nevertheless and be absolutely sure. There is 197 km on it. I guess after today's spin I shall reset the odo to zero.

I am glad that the bike got set up just before the weekend. I am really looking forward to a longish ride tomorrow. Have to get for myself a spare tube. I shall try Bentinck Street tomorrow. Paying Rs 200 for courier is a bit too much.

10 PM 

Went for a short spin around the neighbourhood. A little more than 3 km. Initial impression is the bike is slow. This is a natural reaction after the Scultura. But the sitting position is comfortable. It will be more comfortable, now that I raised the seat slightly after I came back home. The brakes are fine. Balance is great. Most people say that the LHT behaves better with some load. I am ridiculously light. Perhaps will deflate the tyre pressure a bit, because I thought the shock absorption left a bit more to be desired. I think I should be able to easily crunch miles with this machine.

Incidentally, I checked the Velo 7 for tyre size etc. It is indeed set to 26". I reset the odo to zero. The MTB had clocked 197 km with it. Added 3 more tonight to make it 200. I had to relearn how to set the time. Glad that I had kept the manual. It's very easily done.

10th November, 2018


Went for a morning ride within the city. All of 28 km or so. Since I don't have the spare tube I am a little reluctant to go out of town. Also I need to get into the groove of riding again.

The bike felt a little sluggish last night due to the wrong gear I was riding on. Once I changed to the biggest chain ring (I was on the middle) I was cruising fine.

My Impressions About The Bar-end Shifters

If you are riding on the hood, like I do most of the time, they are a pain. You have to take your hand off the handle and change the gear. I did miss my STI shifting. It's very convenient. Also I have to get adjusted to how much pressure to put for a change. If you press too hard you might change 2/3 gears all at a time.

The seat is definitely uncomfortable. Of course, I should have stretched my glutes before the ride. I found them to be rather stiff later when I tried to stretch.

A Few Important Spares

This evening, being a holiday, I went to the Giant Starkenn store on Bentinck Street (wonder for how long it will survive) to purchase a spare tube and a master link for the chain. I got a Schwalbe tube in size 26". It is compatible with a range of tyre widths upto 2.4. I doubt I will ever add that fat a tyre. But the option is there. The tube is with Presta valve that is 40 mm long.

It's quite heavy compared to my spare tube for the 700 c Merida road bike. Of course that tube is very narrow. Almost as wide as a finger only. But the weight of this tube is almost immediately apparent as soon as you pick up the packet. I don't know if tubes have any shelf life and expiry date. I hope I never need it on the road.

I also got for myself a master link for the chain. It's a KMC one for ten speed chains (my group set is Deore XT). This is needed if and when you break the chain on the way and need to fix it. Not an immediate possibility but since I was in the cycling market thought might as well get it

These two spares are very critical. If you ever need any of them nothing else can work even as a stop gap improvisation. There might be some solution to the chain problem but You will have to walk back home or hail a cab. Having fixed a tube on the road (I once replaced the punctured tube with a new one and then repaired the tube after coming back home), I know how important it is to have your own spares when you are out riding - alone or in a group. Now I can go riding far with my LHT.

Today I also started discussing the possible sale of my Merida Scultura 200 with the nephew of Sumanta Rana. I also took the saddle bag off the bike as well as the Park Tool portable pump. These two used to be attached to the Red Roadie. I had taken out the NR headlight yesterday. From the saddle bag I took out the spare 700 c tube and the 9 speed chain master link and put in the 26" tube and the 10 speed chain link. The tyre levers (that packet also contains the USB cable for the NR headlight and a Presta to Schrader adapter) and multitool would be common. I used to put the pressure gauge with all this on my Red Roadie. But here the 26" tube being really big, I could not accommodate it in the bag. I will carry it in my waist pouch with mobile phone and wallet. It's an electronic item and requires a little molly coddling in any case.

The attached items on the bike are as follows - A Night Rider headlight on the handle bar, a Catseye Velo 7 on the stem, a Crivit white light on the front left fork, an Elite bottle cage on the down tube, Park Tool hand pump on the seat tube, Cycliste saddle bag on the seat post with a Night Rider tail lamp attached to it, another Crivit red light on the left seat stay. These are my attachments. Meaning I added them to the bike.

A few words about the Crivit lights. My friend Raja Biswas brought them for me from England. They run on two small CR2032 batteries 3v lithium ion batteries. For their tiny size and weight they produce an incredible amount of light. They are not my principal source of light but since they are there might as well attach them to the bike :-)

Sunday November 18, 2018

 

This was a productive week so far as cycling was concerned. Yesterday I had gone for a 30K+ trip within the city (Red Road-Dalhousie etc). Today I went up to the airport via VIP and came back through New Town. It was a 53K ride as per my Garmin GPS. The Catseye Velo says it was a 58K ride. Didn't push myself too much. Gingerly pace. There was a problem with the second chain ring with an unknown sound coming from the chain. This corrected itself after some time. God knows what was happening. The sound was coming only when certain gears were being engaged.

Near Beleghata crossing the rear tail light somehow fell off the saddle bag. It broke into two pieces and the batteries also came off. I attached them and it's back to normal and working perfectly. Initially when I saw the broken parts on the road I thought of not picking the garbage up.

At New Town, while coming back saw these pillars of the Metro Rail which have been painted with the Nandalal linocuts that we all grew up with in Sahaj Path. Took a photograph of the bike with my most favourite pic.

Today I was feeling very hungry. Took the banana in New Town. Near Chingrihata had a small breakfast with an egg omlette and a quarter pound loaf of bread and a tea. This gave me some energy and the rest of the ride was relatively faster. 

I think I must pull up the seat by at least an inch. Will do it later this week. The seat is pretty uncomfortable. A Brooks saddle is a possibility some time in future. 

Sunday 24th March, 2019

I have not been writing on this particular post for some time. In this time I have added a few ornaments to the LHT. There is a pair of mudguards, a B-twin rear carrier and three B-twin bottle cages. Can't remember if I wrote here about the saddle upgrade which is a Shimano Griffon now. The other day I upgraded the brake pads and went for Kool Stops for both front and rear. I am currently waiting for the two tyres to come from BOTS. These are Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour.

Today something funny happened that is worth writing down about. A few weeks ago I installed the LHT on my Elite home trainer. To do this you need to take out the regular Shimano skewer and instal the purpose built Elite skewer. When I took the stock skewer, I realised that the spring from the drive side didn't come out with the skewer. It was stuck. 

I tried pulling it a few times. It wouldn't budge. A couple of spirals are outside but the rest of the spring is inside. This is not a big deal. I made do with the spring inside but the problem kept on bugging me at the back of my mind. 

After several failed attempts over the next few weeks I even posted about the problem online looking for some tips. None came. Today I finally decided to give it one last try. I placed the bike upside down and took the skewer completely out and tried to take the wheel out. First I realised I had still not loosened the brake. Later I realised I had also not engaged the gear at the highest. Anyway, just when I jerked the wheel a bit trying to bring it out of the drop outs, the spring fell off. 

I don't know how it happened or even where exactly it was stuck but the problem was solved. The only issue now is the spring is just a bit deshaped. I guess I will see if it can be replaced. If a new one cannot be purchased I shall use the one on my Merida skewer. That bike is right now on the trainer. So its skewer is lying idle.

Sunday 14th June, 2020

I haven't written on this journal for a long time it seems. Basically after the last post I had gone to Darjeeling with the bike and made quite a success of it. Given my age and state of fitness I did not expect it to be this smooth. Read about it here . But after this, a strange sort of inaction followed. I hardly cycled after the Darjeeling trip. There was a plan to cycle in Orissa but the partner I chose was wrong. I should have known that he would never go anywhere. I could have gone ahead alone but I got so disgusted that I thought I would do it another day. 

Meanwhile, from March 2020 Covid-19 happened and the resultant lockdown. Once the lockdown was partially lifted I started commuting to work on my cycle. The cycle, which was lying practically unused for more than a year in our living room, responded like an obedient child. Nothing went wrong. I pumped up and he just rolled. Of course office is less than 3.5 km but even that is a long distance if the cycle doesn't want to roll or creaks. I guess after the monsoon is over I will get it professionally serviced. Meanwhile gentle washing and lubrication of the drivetrain is enough, I guess.