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.

 

Accessories, Upgrades And Mods To The Trucker (WIP)

I plan to do the following upgrades/modifications/additions to the Trucker after it comes. I shall keep adding to the list as and when I learn about something new and useful.

A. I need to add a pair of pedals to start with. I think the MKS Sylvan Double Sided Touring Pedals is the best value for money. Have read good reviews for them on international websites. The are available on Happy Earth for Rs 2654. Let me see when I can spend that. The design is a copied one from Campagnlo. But it is a good set of pedals, they say. (I placed the order today - 1st November 2018. Will write a review once they arrive)

B. A pair of mudguards. These days they call it fender. To me they are mudguards. SKS, a German brand, looks like is a hot favourite and is available in India. I have to ensure that I buy the correct size that will be able to accommodate wider than stock tyres. These were purchased from Happy Earth and fitted to the bike in February 2019, prior to the planned Darjeeling trip.

C. A Brooks B-17 saddle. Some time in future. Not now. As of December 11, 2018 - I bought a Pro Bike Gear Griffon. Will write a review after at least 500 km with it.

D. Racks and panniers, if and when I go for long multi-day rides. I guess I will do the research then. Happy Earth stocks some Surly racks. But they are ridiculously expensive. I think the Axiom Journey series rear racks are decently priced at Rs 2500. As of March 2019, I bought a cheap carrier from Decathlon for around 700 bucks.

E. A distant possibility is to change the crank for better mountain climbs.

F. Tyres and tubes - I think I would prefer to have a Schwalbe Marathon Plus touring tyre. They come with Kevlar and are more or less puncture proof. But they cost a bomb. I must get a spare tube immediately after the bike arrives.

April 4, 2019

As of today I can tick off three from the above list. A pair of Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour, a pair of MKS pedals, a pair of SKS Bluemels mudguards and a Shimano Griffon saddle (it's not in the list though).

My current wish list includes the following

• Lezyne Micro Floor HV (available on Amazon US)
• Brooks B17 (available with BOTS)
• Surly rack front and rear (rear first perhaps - off Happy Earth)
• Ortilieb panniers 
• Garmin Edge 520
• Apidura handlebar, top tube and small saddle bag (all water proof)

July 20, 2020

Of the above list a few more can now be ticked off. Lezyne Micro Floor pump, Brooks B17, Tubus rear rack, Ortlieb panniers, Garmin Edge 130. I have to get the Apidura handlebar bag. I wonder if the rear rack and Ortlieb panniers are practical for the Himalayas and whether bike packing is the only answer. In that case a saddle bag will also be needed. But then how does one carry the tent? On the handlebar?

Trigger Is Pulled On The LHT

As on 11th November 2018 after initial set up

After dilly dallying with the idea for months, today I finally pulled the trigger on a Surly LHT. After long discussions with various representatives from the store, I chose size 52 with 26 inch wheels. It's in colour silver grey. That's the only colour they have in my size. I would have loved the Khaki. But the silver is okay too.

The seller is Happy Earth of Bangalore. They are the India importers for Surly. Currently they are offering a 15 per cent discount on the regular price. It cost me a total of Rs 1.06 lakh.

A dream is born. I will one day go out with the bike to tour at least India, if not the world. I just hope it fits me well.

In case they should delete all this information from their website at some future date, let me copy the complete list of bike parts from the Surly website for posterity

As I realised, although Surly is an American company, most of its parts are sourced from Taiwan. Some parts are American and Japanese Shimano also has a strong presence.

Why I Bought The LHT

When I bought my first digital SLR, I was advised by a photographer friend of mine not to go for it but rather choose from one of the various compact cameras available in the market. I told him, "a camera must look like a camera and not a toy". The same logic applied to buying a bicycle. The cycle must look like a cycle. While I grew up on normal traditional Indian bicycles (with originally English design of the pre-world war), I always wanted a racing cycle. Possibly my father sowed those seeds of ambition in me. So I went for the Merida.

When I bought the Merida I wasn't too well aware of bicycle geometry and its impact on riding. I just wanted a bicycle that the Tour de France riders ride - or at least something that looked like one of those. So in came the road bike. It was my first bicycle with a dropped handlebar. I wasn't too comfortable riding it at first but soon got the hang of it and loved it.

But I soon realised that it is too aggressive a style of riding which cannot be sustained for long journeys.

I learnt that there is a type of cycle called touring cycles, that people use for long distance relaxed riding, often with big loads - which is my idea of a cycle ride. I remembered the old advertising slogan of Royal Enfield - why ride just a bike, when you can ride a legend. So, I went for the Surly Long Haul Trucker, which enjoys a cult status in the world of global cycle touring. I must confess here - if I had the money, I would've bought the Koga Miyata with Rohloff hub gear. But I cannot afford it. So, let that remain a secret dream till one day I land in Amsterdam with loads and loads of money and buy it. As of now it starts from euro 3400. So about Rs 2.38 lakh in Amsterdam. :-) Perhaps the model with my Rohloff gear will cost Rs 3 lakhs. So let's talk about something else please, like how pleasant the weather is in Calcutta this November.

Complete bike spec subject to change

Frameset

Sizes

26˝ wheel 42, 46, 50–62cm; 700c wheel 56–62cm

Frame

Surly Long Haul Trucker,, 100% Surly 4130 CroMoly steel. Main triangle double-butted. TIG-welded

Fork

Surly Long Haul Trucker, 4130 CroMoly, lugged and brazed. Proprietary sloping crown with threaded eyelets, tapered and butted curved blades with mid-blade rack eyelets, dual dropout eyelets

Seatpost clamp

Surly Stainless, 30.0mm (Surly stainless included)

Drivetrain

Crankset

Andel RSC6, 26/36/48t. Square taper interface. Silver

Bottom Bracket

Shimano UN-55, Square taper interface. 68 x 118mm

Front Derailleur

Shimano Deore T611-3, Silver

Rear Derailleur

Shimano XT-T780-L SGS, Black

Cog or Cassette

Shimano HG-50-10, 11–36t

Chain

KMC X10, Nickle plated

Components

Headset

Cane Creek 40, 1-1/8˝ threadless. Black

Brake

Tektro M730, silver

Brake Levers

Tektro RL520

Shifters

Microshift BS-M10 10-speed shifter, friction/index adjustable; Black

Stem

Kalloy AS-009, 26.0mm bar clamp. Aluminum. 4-bolt face. Silver

Handlebar

PMT, 26.0mm. Silver

Saddle

WTB Volt

Seatpost

Kalloy SP-368 non-offset [42-50cm]; Kalloy SP-248D offset [52-62cm], 27.2mm. 300mm. Silver

Extras

Kickstand Plate

Wheels

Hubs

Shimano LX T670. 36h, Silver

Rims (26")

Alex Adventurer 2 36h, black

Rims (700c)

Alex Adventurer 2 36h, black

Tires (26˝) 42–62cm

Continental Tour Ride, 26x1.75"

Tires (700c)

Continental Contact, 700c x 37mm

Frame Size	Stem Length	Stem Angle	Handlebar Width	Crank Length
42cm	75.0	35.0	400.0	165.0
46cm	75.0	35.0	400.0	165.0
50cm	75.0	35.0	400.0	170.0
52cm	90.0	17.0	420.0	170.0
54cm	100.0	17.0	420.0	170.0
56cm	100.0	17.0	440.0	175.0
58cm	110.0	17.0	440.0	175.0
60cm	120.0	17.0	460.0	175.0
62cm	120.0	17.0	460.0	175.0 The Geometry

26-inch Geometry

Switch to inches

	42cm	46cm	50cm	52cm	54cm	56cm	58cm	60cm	62cm
Seat Tube Length (Center-Top)	420.0	460.0	500.0	520.0	540.0	560.0	580.0	600.0	620.0
Top Tube Length (Center-Center)	492.7	508.4	525.4	535.0	549.7	564.5	580.3	594.8	603.8
Effective Top Tube Length (Center-Center)	505.0	515.0	530.0	540.0	555.0	570.0	586.0	600.0	610.0
Head Tube Angle	70.0˚	70.0˚	71.0˚	71.0˚	71.0˚	71.0˚	71.0˚	71.5˚	71.5˚
Seat Tube Angle	75.0˚	74.5˚	74.0˚	73.5˚	73.0˚	73.0˚	72.5˚	72.5˚	72.0˚
BB Drop	47.0	47.0	47.0	47.0	47.0	47.0	47.0	47.0	47.0
Chainstay Length	460.0	460.0	460.0	460.0	460.0	460.0	460.0	460.0	460.0
Wheelbase	1036.6	1042.7	1046.8	1053.1	1064.0	1079.8	1091.2	1100.4	1105.1
Standover Height	702.1	723.2	756.1	774.5	792.4	811.9	829.7	847.9	866.6
Head Tube Length	110.7	116.7	144.0	163.0	182.0	203.0	222.0	238.0	259.0
Fork Length	376.0	376.0	376.0	376.0	376.0	376.0	376.0	376.0	376.0
Fork Offset	45.0	45.0	45.0	45.0	45.0	45.0	45.0	45.0	45.0
Stack	497.2	502.9	532.3	550.3	568.3	588.1	606.1	623.3	643.2
Reach	367.2	371.3	374.5	374.6	379.4	388.3	393.5	402.5	400.5

All dimensions are preliminary and subject to change

* Standover is measured from the top of the TT, at the center, with a tire measuring approximately Ø628 or 690mm

Waking Up An Old Soldier

Today's project was - revive an old soldier, a foot soldier to be precise. They go to sleep but they never die. This is the cycle on which I learnt to balance and ride about forty five or six years ago when I was about eight years old. Half pedal only though. I couldn't sit astride the saddle back then. I could hardly reach both the ends of the handle and instead would hold the saddle with my right hand. I cannot remember the countless miles of sheer joy this bike gave me when I would go to Shantiniketan. My uncle Popul who owned it rode it till he was past 80 and I think this bike is one of the reasons why he hardly ever had any disease. 

I had stopped Mezda from scrapping it and took it from him a few years ago when they closed down their establishment in Shantiniketan and sold off most of the stuff and brought back some unsellable things over. This was one of them. 

It was lying idle at home in Metro Park. Yesterday (a Saturday that was a holiday) when Kushuda brought our washing machine from home on a mini truck, I had requested him to bring the cycle over also, which he did. 

The adapter

My first priority (after dusting it, particularly the seat and handle grips) was to pump up the two wheels. I had to push it to the tyre repair shop to blow in some air. I had thought that these old style valves (they call it Woods or Dunlop valves) work like Schrader valves because all tyre repair shops use the same nozzle to fill these in as they do with cars. But I soon realised that it doesn't work like that. At least my 12 volt car tyre inflator didn't fit on it. I later learnt that you use the Presta to Schrader adapter on it and then you can use those 12 volt car tyre inflators. So these have the same thread as the Presta. It didn't strike me why the Presta nozzle of my pump wouldn't work. Will check that out later. (Later addition: I checked out. These Dunlop valves work perfectly with the pump in Presta filling mode). 

Anyway, I pushed the bike to the tyre repair shop next to Mudiali Meat Shop. They inflated the front wheel fine but said the rear tube is punctured. No air was going in. Again I pushed it back home. I thought I would take the wheel off and take it to a cycle repair shop to see what was wrong. I had no clue how it is done. I have never even seen any mechanic take these wheels off.

Someswar, my dial-in advisor for bike repair (he is a fantastic, properly trained and educated mechanic but lives quite far) told me how to take the wheel off. But he gave only half the advice. He said take the brake pads off and then take out the nuts on either end of the rear axle. The brake pads came off fine but taking the axle nuts off seemed like a near impossibility. The drive side nut was not as obstinate as the non-drive side one. This side had the added problem of the kick stand which was limiting the range of motion for the spanner to work. 

Anyway, I put in a lot of WD 40 on both the nuts and closed the project down for the day. I shall revisit the project another day.

The thin tube for valves

Later during the day I had a brainwave. Why was air not going in at all? I thought may be the valve-tube was damaged. Unscrewed it from the valve and checked it. I had sort of melted. I had some spare thin tube in my IceToolz repair kit. I used it to change the valve tube (our local mechanics use this term. I have no clue if it is correct.) I used the Presta to Schrader adapter and used the car tyre inflator. Nothing doing. Nothing went in.

I thought now that I have a way to inflate the tube at home let me try to repair it without removing the wheel. Prying the tyre out with a plastic tyre lever near the valve I realised the tube had almost melted. It was pointless trying to repair it. The tube has to be changed.

I tested the rear axle lock nuts. Today they had softened up it seemed and turned relatively easily. I was quietly ecstatic. Today is the day to learn this intimidating subject of taking the rear wheel off an old soldier.

I called Someswar up again. Hell bent on taking the tyre off. There is no youtube videos showing how to take off the rear wheel of an old style fixie with a mudguard and carrier rack. Someswar told me the rest of the story to really take off the wheel. I think yesterday he didn't take it too seriously and had given me a very superficial advice.

What I did is as follows. Step by step.

1. Turned the bike upside down.

Two chain tensioners and a bit of kickstand

2. Took off the two brake pads using spanner size
3. Took the lock nuts off from either side of the axle using spanner size 15
4. Took the kick-stand off, removed the stays for the mudguard and the carrier rack. The entire mudguard or carrier do not need to be taken off. They keep hanging from the bolts that attach them to the frame.
5. Take the chain tensioners off using spanner size (see pic)
6. Just pull the damn wheel out
7. Take photographs for viewing later and for showing off to friends who walk home after a puncture on the road
8. Forgot to mention - one has to take the chain off the free wheel at some point of time. In my case I didn't have to do anything as it was already off the gear.

Broken Park Tool tyre lever

Now, I tried to take off the old tyre - off the rim. Idea was to take it to a cycle repair shop and buy replacement tube and tyre (the tyre also looks brittle now) as per the size. I didn't realise how hard it is to take the tyre off from these old style bicycles. The beads are really deep. In the process I broke one of my Park Tools tyre levers :-( . The plastic tyre levers are fine for road bikes. For mountain bikes and these sort of older bikes one would need metallic levers. I have to order for them.

As of now the wheel is waiting to be taken to a shop and replaced. I shall put it in the boot of the car and see who can help. I would love to go to this store near Biplav's house in Golf Gardens. The guy is a gentleman there. I once asked for an old tube to cover my locking chain. He gave me one and refused to take any money for it.

Let me see how the reassembly goes. I am feeling a little intimidated. Far too many parts were taken off. They have to be reassembled one by one. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Like a beetle turned over

Sunday Night

I went to the cycle shop in Golf Gardens with the wheel. The shop owner was quietly impressed that I had taken the wheel off all by myself. He said he had the tyre and tube but it was behind a lot of stuff. It would be nice if I could come tomorrow. I didn't leave the wheel there because a. I would love to do the replacement myself. b. I want to come tomorrow on my motorcycle and taking the wheel back on my motorbike would be difficult. It will cost me Rs 310 (Rs 220 for tyre and 90 for tube). 

I also ordered for two steel tyre levers on Amazon for Rs 270 plus Rs 80 for delivery. Let me see when they arrive. I am not in any particular hurry. These can be used for my MTB Hero as well.

Sunday Afternoon (22nd July 2018)

Much as I would have loved to get the tyre and tube from the shop in Golf Gardens, ultimately I couldn't. I had called the shop up on Monday and they said the owner wasn't around and he is never around after 6.30 or so in the evening. I went to the shop on Saturday evening - at around 6.30 pm. He wasn't there. His old mother was at the cash counter. The assistants at the shop didn't seem too interested to understand what exactly I needed. And they started asking irrelevant questions. This is a hall mark of illiterates who know a little bit of something. I have dealt with many of them in the past.

The new tyre

The Tube

I muttered a quiet "fuck you" and came home. This shop is quite a distance from my house and I have no reason to go there except from a sense of gratitude. But beyond a point I cannot keep visiting it in search of an ordinary tyre and tube, especially when I have so many cycle shops closer to home. I also have a feeling that the owner probably goes for a drink every evening. Otherwise, it is not believable that he goes to the market every evening for buying supplies for the store. That's what the boys were trying to make me believe. The cycle market in Calcutta is in Bentinck Street and no one in his sane mind goes there in the evenings, leaving a busy shop. Anyway, enough is enough. I closed the chapter.

This afternoon I bought the tube and tyre from the shop in Kalighat called Bipul Cycle Stores.  Before that I had called up Someswar and he told me to check the tyre wall for the size. If it's too large then it's possibly 28x1.5. That was what was written, I found on the old tyre (on the tyre wall it's actually written one and a half and not 1.5. I believe when it comes to tyres there is a difference between the two though mathematically both are same). . So there was no more confusion and no need to take the old one to the shop.

Together they cost me Rs 355 at Bipul. The tyre is some brand called Varosa and the tube is Fargo. Obviously these are more expensive than quoted by Golf Gardens store (I think the shop name is Lokenath). They folded the tyre in a figure of 8 and it was quite handy for Mampu to hold it while sitting pillion on my motorbike. We came home. I have told them that if I cannot fit it to the rim I will come back with the rim and get it fitted by them. They assured me that they would stand by me :-) Now I am waiting for the steel tyre levers. Hopefully by next week they should be with me.

28 by one and a half - that's the size

Monday 23rd July, 2018

I finished a Herculean task this evening. Took the old tyre and tube off the rim. Put the new tyre and tube on. And then pumped it up. Believe it or not, it was a huge task and had to learn something new at every step of this process.

First taking the tyre off. Actually this I found was the most difficult part. I guess because it's an old tyre. Success came after I did two things. A. I loosened up the tyre sitting on the tube by pressing it all around and moving it a bit. B. I held the lever close to each other. Like 5/6 inches apart only. Even after half the tyre came out of the wheel and was hanging out of the rim it took me some time to actually take it off the rim.

Next was putting the tyre back on. I had thought this would be a lot more tough. In the end I managed to put it on. It took a lot of back  and forth pushing but I succeeded in getting the entire tire to sit on the rim properly. I had used some talcum on the new tube before putting it on. I inserted the tube in the tyre and then put the tyre on.

Next step was pumping the tyre up. This turned out to be the most challenging part. Air was just not going in. I would pump in and could hear the hiss of the air flowing back out.  I was quite at my wits end and was about to opt for "dial a mechanic" - my all time dependable Someswar Rao. I was using my good old Fire Fox floor standing pump in Schrader mode and added the Presta/Schrader adapter. It would just not work. Tried several different things including replacing the inner core with the old inner core of the old valve.

Dunlop Valve

Promptly returned with full refund

Finally a simple solution did the trick. If you look carefully at the
photograph of the valve (to the left) there is a small nut at the base of the valve. This sits on the rim. I tightened it against the rim with a spanner. Before that I was keeping it a bit loose, thinking I might need to take it out some time in future and it might get jammed. Turns out, this has to be really tight against the rim. Look at the raised edges of the base of the valve. That creates a space between the valve base and the rim. If you don't tighten the screw the pressure in the tube pushes the air out through the valve. These are very very old systems and have probably survived only in the Third World.

Earlier in the day, the tyre levers had arrived but much to my disappointment I found they were totally different from what was promised. Just a pair of cheap rusty screwdrivers. I did the job with them but am definitely going to return them. Learnt a lesson. Never buy anything that is not Amazon fulfilled.

Wednesday 25th July, 2018

Chain Tensioners

Although I didn't write about it, I fitted the tyre back to the bicycle on Monday night itself. However, I didn't quite like the fit. The chain is a bit lose. I should have pulled the wheel back a bit and adjusted the chain tensioner. That part of the bike is so old and jammed that the screw had to be tightened and loosened using a spanner. Somehow managed to put everything back on but as I said it didn't quite fit properly.

On Tuesday, I went to Bipul Cycles and bought a pair of chain tensioners. It cost me a royal sum of Rs 30 for the pair. On Amazon there is some joker who sells it for Rs 180 plus Rs 60 for courier. The guy at the shop told me an interesting thing. Keep the bulging side on the outside. The ring kind of thing that sits on top of the screw is not welded to the middle of the screw. It is on one side of the screw. That side should be on the interior part of the bike. The side that is bulging out should be on the exterior part. I don't know if this is clear to someone who has not seen the tensioner closely. Incidentally, in the shop I didn't ask them to give me a pair of chain tensioners. I was more than certain that they had some local name for it. So I showed it to them fitted on a cycle. They said it's called a "chain chabi". Chabi means key. Some call it chain adjuster also, he said.

What I have In My Saddle Bag

Cycliste Saddlebag

I think I have finally come to a stage where I can say my saddle bag is complete with all the necessary spares and tools needed for a reasonable road trip. I have the following items in the small bag.

Two spare tubes (because I have them and I know how it feels to get a puncture on the road)
A Crankbrothers 19 multitool (it can do everything except take the pedal off)
Park Tool tyre lever set of three (to take the tyre off the rim)
A Presta to Schrader converter (in case I need to pump up some serious pressure from a repair shop)
USB cable for headlight (not really needed for routine rides but it's a safe place for it)
Two KMC Missing Links 9R for 9 speed chains (in case the chain snaps)
Topeak pressure gauge (back pocket - for measuring tyre pressure)
Park Tool mini pump (strapped on the frame)

My saddle bag Cycliste is not large enough for the Topeak pressure gauge. The back pocket of my cycling jersey is more suitable for it. If I went on an overnight trip, I would probably carry a long nose kind of pliers and the Ice Toolz puncture repair kit.

A small disclaimer. I forgot to include the KMC Missing Links in my photography (look right). Because they were not in the bag. They are still on my shelf, waiting to be put inside the bag and that's why I missed photographing them. Just goes to show how one has to be doubly sure that one has taken everything before a ride. Forgetting something is very easy.

Here is an index of the picture to the right (you have to expand the image to see the number written on each item in red).

Contents of the Bag

1. Cycliste bag from ViaTerra
2. Park Tool mini hand pump
3. Maxxis tube
4. Park Tool tyre lever set
5. Charging cable for headlight
6. Presta to Schrader converter
7. Topeak Pressure Gauge
8. Schwalbe tube
9. Crankbrothers Multitool 19
10. Crankbrothers case
Missing link is missing.

I must also add that the Park Tool mini pump is not easy to take off the bike frame. It's strapped with a rubber band with a small tongue that you pull with your fingers to engage. But it's so tight and hard that I had to use a screw driver to prise it open. I wonder who is going to supply me with that on the road. I tried with the multi tool. Didn't work. It is possible that the hardness of the band might loosen up a bit (like the cap of the Crankbrother multi tool has) with use but one does not take it off every day.

A small explanation as to why I have two new spare tubes. Well, I had only one which I used up during the first road side repair. First thing I did after coming back home was to order a new one. After this, I fixed the punctured tube and put it back on. So the first new tube that I used up was taken out. Thus I have two spare tubes. If there is space no harm carrying both.