Pedal Installation

Bicycle pedals are a little quirky things. At least the type of pedals I have on my bikes. It is prudent to write down how to instal and take them off. It's an important thing to know if you want to go bicycle touring. Because before you pack a bike in a bag the first thing you do is take the pedal off. And when you reassemble the bike this is the second thing to do (after fixing the handle, that is.)

If you want to cut the crap and just learn how to install or take off the pedal check these two videos I made. It's very simple and can be done with a sliding wrench, as I do. To install a pedal click here . To uninstall or take off a pedal click here . A tip to remember. If you sit facing the bike on both sides then you have to turn the wrench in exactly the same direction. You need not read the rest of the write up here. Just one other thing. Always use grease when you install a pedal. Makes the job of taking it off later much easier. 

The Detailed Story

The two pedals come with L and R written on them. L goes to the left (non-drive side) and R goes to the right (drive side). Obviously. You will need a wrench that is the right size for it. There are specialised pedal wrenches available in the market. But the job can be done using any adjustable wrench that is not too fat. I use this type of adjustable wrench (picture to the right). Typically such wrenches are used by plumbers. I have used it to undo a lot of plumbing stuff in the toilet or hand wash basin. It's a multi-utility kind of tool. It makes sense to carry such a wrench on a tour because it can have other utilities too. If pushed it can even work as a basic pair of pliers also. However, the particular one I have is perhaps an overkill in terms of size. But it does its job very well. There are other smaller models too, which might be better suited for cycle touring. Anyway, off with the instructions of how to instal the pedal. 

The end of the pedal has a bolt like thing with thread on it that goes inside the crank (see image on left). I think its proper technical name is spindle. The initial impulse of a novice would be to hold the thread against the hole and turn the pedal by hand. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. I wish it was. The pedal moves around its axis freely. That is, if the pedal turns on its own axis, the axis itself or the spindle or the bolt does not move at all. So, just turning the pedal won't make it go inside the crank arm.

It has a head with two flat surfaces on opposite sides that you hold with the wrench. In the picture you can see L is written on one of the flat surfaces (the other flat side is hidden below). You hold this flat surface with the wrench and then hold the bolt against the hole in the crank arm where it will go. 

Next you rotate the pedal backward, holding the wrench steady. Don't let the wrench turn with the pedal. The pedal slowly goes in and sits inside the crank arm.

Taking it off is exactly the opposite. That's quite a no brainer, isn't it? You hold the same head kind of thing with the wrench and pedal forward (keep the rear wheel lifted or set the cycle on a trainer/repair stand to do this). You can start off by unlocking the initial stubborn part. For this try turning the head clockwise (without moving the pedal forward). This is a little counter intuitive but that's how it is. 

The first time you install a new pedal make sure you grease up the bolt end. 

Remember this one line - After you hold the spanner  and looking at the pedal - left pedals come off if you turn them clockwise and right pedal comes off if you turn them anti-clockwise.

One universal rule - if you are looking at the pedal, all pedals left or right, tighten to the front. And they all loosen to the back. I am not using the term clockwise or counter clockwise because that's confusing. Confusing because we look at a pedal from two different sides.

All this might sound a bit confusing but there is no rocket science involved. Just sit down with a spanner and the pedals. Any person of average intelligence can work it out. If I can do it, you can do it too.

There are some pedals - usually the more expensive ones like the steel MKS pedals above left - that can be installed using a 6 mm Allen key as well. You will need a long Allen key for that. Of course the one in your multi-tool can also do the job during a tour. But the longer ones make the job easier. To do this you need to reach the pedal from the opposite side.

The pedals on the right are more humble and need a wrench to be installed or taken off.

I use the Allen key for the final tightening of my MKS. Because operating it from the other side through the bottle cages and all is a little messy.

In Simpler Terms (because I myself forget these things after a day)

Take off the left pedal - Sit in front of the pedal. Hold the wrench on the spindle. Turn clockwise, that is towards the rear wheel. It comes off.

Take off the right pedal - Sit in front of the pedal. Hold the wrench on the spindle. Turn anti-clockwise, that is towards the rear wheel. It comes off.

How To Instal SKS Bluemels Fenders On LHT

They call them fenders these days. I prefer to call them mudguards. Here is my account of what I did to instal them (Bluemels SKS) to my Surly LHT. The learning curve, as usual, was very steep. But if I can do it, so can you. Read on if you have the time. I am writing it for my own self. I might soon forget everything that I learnt from this exercise.

Front Mudguard installation 

Tools Required – Spanner # 8 and hex wrench # 4, a pair of pliers and some grease. Later you will realise that you also need a bolt cutter or hacksaw. This is not mentioned anywhere.

This is what I did based on viewing 3 youtube videos on the subject and the literature that came with the product. If I do it again, I will do it in a different way, the reasons for which are explained later. But no harm jotting down truthfully exactly what I did. 

First insert the four plastic end caps in their respective places, namely on either side of the two clamps that come fitted to the MG. It is a little tricky. The plastic end cap has a very thin slit side. The metal clamp should slide through that so that it stays snug. The pointed part should go through the hole. For this to happen smoothly, the hole of the clamp has to be in perfect alignment with the clamp's side. Use the pliers to do this alignment. Please remember, once inserted properly, it is very difficult to slide it back down. I am not sure if this will make much sense to someone unless you try it out yourself.  

Step 2 - Insert the stays with the plastic ends (the non-plastic ones are for the rear wheel) into the end caps. Use the four bolts to secure the stays with the end cap.

Step 3 – Secure the stays against the fork on either side with two of the smaller bolts (use hex wrench #4). Since the inside threaded part of the fork’s end has painted surface, the first time is really hard. I had to turn the bolt in and out several times to strip the paint inside. Once it is smooth add some grease and secure the stays.

If I install another pair of MG I will do these three steps last. The reason is discussed at the end of this description.

Step 4 – Insert the biggest bolt through the clamp and the hole in the middle of the fork and secure the nut on the other end. Use a washer here. Hold a spanner on the nut and a hex wrench on the other end. Tighten whichever is more convenient.

Step 5 – Now secure all the bolts tight but not too tight.

The installation instruction PDF from SKS

Now you will find that the MG is fitted all right but looks awful because it is not in alignment. What none of the effing youtube videos or the official literature from the company tell you is that you need to now cut the stays to size so that the MGs don't look deshaped and misaligned. Here is what they look like with the original stays (without trimming) attached.

Here is what they look like (picture above). Front and rear. Look at the end of the MG where it is attached to the stay. The stay needs to be trimmed by about an inch. I will get a bolt cutter tomorrow and then post another pic. First I have to get a bolt cutter. Bhanubhai (my hardware supplier from Bentinck Street) zindabad. I am off to Chandni tomorrow. Will carry the stay for Bhanubhai to understand what I need to cut. 

I hate it when I have to stop a work for the want of a proper tool. In this case it was a bolt cutter. So the next day during lunch break I went to Bhanubhai and bought for myself a heavy duty Taparia bolt cutter for Rs 800. It's a 14-inch cutter. Anything smaller would've failed actually. The stays are really strong German material.

On second thoughts, I should have probably spent a little more and got for myself an angled grinder. Because with a bolt cutter, you cannot do anything else except cutting bolts or nails, which is not a very frequent requirement unless you are a professional mechanic, particularly the heavy duty 14-inch stuff that I bought. An angle grinder can be used in various situations around the house, including for bathroom cleaning. But then I have made many other such superfluous purchases in life. This is perhaps one more and one of the less expensive spending mistakes in life :-)

Anyway, back home I took the stays off while the MG remained attached to the frame. Held the mudguard in a proper shape parallel to the wheel with a piece of thread tied to the rim and then measured the stay from the center point to the end cap. I marked the cutting point, slightly shorter than where the end cap ends. I put different marks on the two arms of the stay (upper and lower), so that I am not confused later. With one stay thus measured I held the other stay matched to the marked one and put the same marks. The idea is, both the stays on either side should be exactly the same size.

Now came the cutting part. Just one tip, if you are as novice as I am. Hold a towel kind of thing loosely over the end that is going to shoot out in any direction, including your eyes, when it is cut (potential energy converted into kinetic energy, I guess). Collect the ends safely and dispose them off safely later. They are tougher than any nail I have ever seen.

The ends of the stay, now that you have cut them, will be slightly rough. If you are very fastidious about these things you can file them. I did not. I installed the stays once again. Now the fender looks a lot more respectable.

I did one more small improvisation. The front part of the MG was a little raised and not entirely parallel to the wheel, like the hood of a raised pique hat. I did not like the shape. So what I did is put a few washers on the bolt joining the MG to the frame. This somewhat pressed it down. Possibly a longer spacer and therefore a longer bolt would do the job better but then I'll have to get a longer bolt first, to get which I will have to take this bolt off and go to Chandni. Lot of work that can wait.

One other point to mention about the front wheel MG installation. You don't need to take off the wheel to do it.

Rear Mudguard Installation 

It's much the same as the front MG installation. Will mention the differences. The first thing you do is take the wheel off. Then slide the bridge up the MG. The rear MG is attached to the frame in two places, as opposed to only one for the front. Bolt them up there. Measure the stays and ensure that the fit is right. That's it. Here also a spacer would make the mudguard look nice but that would mean getting a longer bolt. I can live with the MG looking slightly pushed out at one end.

Bite The Bullet

I have decided to bite the bullet. I am going to go out on a multi-day cycling trip. It might sound a bit too ambitious to choose this particular route as my first such tour but the temptation was too much to resist. Rana and I have decided to try to cycle to Mirik from Siliguri during the Poila Boisakh Good Friday week in April. The plan is we will go to Mirik on day one. Rest there the next day and then see where we can go. We might go to Sukhiapokhari or Maney or Dhotre or Lepchajagat or Ghoom. We shall see.

I have already ordered for a soft bicycle carrying bag from Trek n Earth on Amazon. We will take the Volvo bus to Siliguri. There we will spend a day there setting up the bike, taking rest and leaving the cycle bag and other such stuff at the Exide warehouse. I shall see if we can stay somewhere in Dudhia or Sukna area. So that the next morning's ride will be shorter. The real climb starts from Dudhia after one crosses the Balsan bridge. And it's an uphill climb for about 25 km.

If you google Mirik or Darjeeling cycling, you discover lots of commercial posts from tour operators offering cycling packages in that area. But there are just two old personal blog posts about cycling on this route. People who have themselves cycled from Siliguri to Mirik. One is by a foreigner who went from Siliguri to Mirik and the other is from a Calcuttan who seemed to exaggerate the experience a bit (it's just a hunch and I am seldom wrong on these hunches). Also they went with a support vehicle (the bikes have no pannier or bag or anything. Just one small water bottle). So their account need not be taken too seriously. Apparently they reached straight from NJP station to Mirik in a day.

Adrian's blog is more real. However, he does not describe the route in too much detail except to say that it is a series of switchbacks. I do not really depend too much on the foreigners' accounts because their physical and mental abilities and experiences are completely different from ours. But he took 11 hours to finish what he says is a 50 km ride. He says he had a huge load on the cycle.

Here is the blog by Adrian . He cycled this route in 2009 I think.
And here is the blog by Manasij . I think he also did this around 2010.

If I do this trip I promise to write an accurate travelogue so that others can do it as well.

As far as I could gather, it will be an uphill task. No doubt. We shall see how far we can reach. If I get overawed before the start then I shall never be able to even start. So best to prepare myself as much as possible and hope for the best. In a worst case scenario I can always walk the rest of the way from where I cannot cycle any more.

Rana has already booked a homestay in Mirik for two nights. The plan is to start from here on 12th night. Reach Siliguri by 13th morning. Start for Mirik on 14th from Siliguri. If we find something near Sukna or Dudhia we could stay there for the 13th night instead of staying in Siliguri.That way we get a head start on the next day. We spend the day in Mirik on 15th as well. On 16th we start towards Sukhiapokhari. From there we turn towards Manebhanjang. If we feel up to it, we might even go up to  Dhotre. If possible or feasible we might go to Rimbik or Srikhola the next day.

From Sukhia we might also opt to go towards Lepchajagat and then off to Ghoom.

We shall see. It's an open ended thing. The only things fixed are these - our start and return dates and that we are first going to Mirik.

My main worry right now is how to carry my stuff. I have no pannier rack. No pannier bag. I have nothing except a small front handlebar bag to carry my food and Gatorade etc and a small saddle bag to carry my tools. These are permanent fixtures on the bike. I am all for going for a front pannier rack from Surly and a pair of Ortlieb panniers. Both are available in India but that will set me back by 20k right away. It will also create more bulk. And as Rana says riding with a front pannier rack requires experience.

Rana says go for a 10 litre saddle bag from Trek n Ride like he has. Costs just Rs 1200. I want to check out his bag. I read a review that grinding with the bag is next to impossible. Apparently it also makes hill climbs a little unstable.

Now let me see what all I want to take for the trip.

I will be wearing at any given point of time while cycling

1. Half-sleeve jersey - 1
2. Cycling bib - 1
3. Socks
4. Cycling gloves (PI half) 
5. Cycling helmet (?) 
6. Quechua boots

I will be carrying the following clothing and related items

Includes a rainwear lower.
Won't take it

1. Half sleeve jersey - 1
2. Cycling bibs/shorts - 1
3. Dry fit material half sleeve - 1
4. Dry fit material full sleeve - 1
5.  Kappa track pant (really soft material with lining inside)  Marmot Transcend pants (poor man's rainwear) - 1
6. Briefs - 4  2 (needed only when I am not riding)
7. Socks - 3
8. Marmot Precip Rainwear - 1
9. Sierra Designs Jacket - 1
10. Woolen cap - 1
11. Quechua pique hat - 1
12. Towel - 1 (may buy a microlight from Decathlon)

Items for the front handlebar bag (to be packed inside a dry sack)

1. Rag - 1
2. Medicines (regular plus emergency)
3. Basic first aid kit (Boroline, gauge, cotton wool, Volini/Relispray, Band Aids) 
4. Toilet paper, soap, toothbrush, paste, 501 bar soap, Nivea, Suncream lotion, comb (these can go in the handlebar bag)
5. Head torch
6. Four spare batteries
7. Phone-charger-powerbank
8. Topeak gauge

Tools & Spares in saddle bag

1. Multi-tool
2. Tyre lever 
3. Chain link
4. Adjustable pliers
5. Tube repair kit
6. Chain cleaner and lube (?)
7. 
   

Attached To Bike

1. Bottle cages - 3
2. Pump
3. Front light
4. Back light
5. Spokes

March 16, 2019

As of now the plan is to go via Kurseong up Hill Cart Road and not via Mirik. I think the Mirik climb is much steeper than the Kurseong one.

Here is a complete list of the railway stations from the Indian Railway website that we will be passing on the route. If they are right on the road - I think they are - I am going to take a selfie in front of each one of them. I believe Gayabari and Sonada stations have been gutted in political agitation. One wonders if they have been restored.

Final Countdown 

April 8, 2019

Yesterday Sunday Someswar came to my house and packed the bike. The die is cast. I am a little scared now. I have a little OCD about preparation and packing. I always worry I have forgotten this and forgotten that. Now that the bike is packed and sealed in the box (Someswar felt since we will be going by bus and the luggage will be in the hold it is safer to use a cardboard box rather than the bag).

The bike is extremely well packed with foam tubes and zip ties etc. I forgot to take a pic of the finished packing. Will take one before taking the packaging off in Siliguri.

I am a bit nervous about putting it all back together myself in the Siliguri hotel room and more worryingly packing it equally well when I come back. He took the brake cable out and packed the handle in a different way from the way it came from Happy Earth. In fact, I think he did a better job than Happy Earth. He showed me how to put the brake cable back on through the barrel adjuster. I find the barrel adjuster very confusing. Must learn it once and for all.

Today I got all the items that will go together and put them in a box. These are the hardware kind of items. I think I am more or less covered. There are a few luxury items that I am taking till Siliguri. They will be left behind and not form part of my equipment list for the ride. Here is an image and now I will jot down the items one by one from the top.

1. Bungee cords - 2
2. Zip ties - 1 large, 1 small (to be left behind in Siliguri - TBLBS)
3. Bottle cages - 3
4. Schwalbe inner tube 2
5. Cello tapes - Green and brown (TBLBS)
6. Tin cutter (TBLBS)
7. Pliers (undecided whether TBLBS)
8. Pump
9. Allen key #4
10. Box wrench #8 and #9 (to hold the nuts of mudguards/carrier etc)
11. Sliding wrench (For Rana's pedals)
12. Tube repair kit in a box (with a spare chain link, two dust caps and a Presta to Schrader converter)
13. Multi-tool
14. Knife
15. Scissors (TBLBS)
16. Combination lock (not in the picture)
17. Chain Lubricant
18. A rag
19. Some spare allen screws M5

Sunday April 28, 2019

I am happy to inform that last Sunday I came back after a successful completion of the trip. It was fantastic. Nothing went wrong. Not even the weather. Read about the trip here

Baruipur Round The Corner

Baruipur in our mind is a very distant place. You needed a full day to go there and come back. You went by train and it was a long journey. I suppose it still is. Even going to Sonarpur, a few stations on this side of Baruipur, was such a big deal. But last Sunday (yesterday actually) Baruipur didn't seem so long down the Eastern Bypass. 

It's less than 30 km from my home actually. I went via Anwar Shah Connector and then down the Bypass (I think it's called the Southern Bypass which is nothing but an extension of EM Bypass). First you cross the Kamal Gazi bridge. Then the nice new road on either side of the Adi Ganga comes. While going up the road surface is pretty nice. What's more, the road is totally devoid of any traffic, unlike the old road which is frequented by small pick up trucks in perpetual hurry. The road on the other side of the river, used for coming down, is in a really bad condition, particularly for cyclists. 

This road created some controversy while being constructed, as it passes beside CKBS - the only bird sanctuary in this part of the city. We had feared this road will lead to a lot of road kill for creatures that depend on the Adi Ganga for survival. But given the colour of the river that I saw, almost jet black, I doubt it has any marine life left in it. Of course I saw a few cattle egrets and pond herons but didn't see anything else. Someone must have cleared the water hyacinth, for the water was visible. It looked stagnant though. 

I didn't realise I had reached Baruipur. Seeing a large tree with a concrete seat at the base I stopped for taking a photograph. I asked a curious local motorcyclist where the station was. From what he said I had crossed the point from where I should have turned left. He said Sashan is just a stone's throw. 

Even a few years ago Sashan was a terrible neighbourhood, made famous by the infamous Majid Master, the local thug come Left politician. I couldn't resist the temptation but went to Sashan. Actually it is Sashan Road Station. This is a T-junction where this new road ends. I suppose if you turn right from here you can go to Diamond Harbour Road. But I didn't want to take that route in my outlandish dress. I will come another day to explore that route when I am in my trousers and shirt. 

 I turned around from Sashan and came back home, clocking a decent 60k plus. I had started really late. But my average speed was better at close to 20kmph. 

I am thinking of attempting a century next Sunday. Let me see. 

Another thing to note here. Before the journey I adjusted my seat's alignment ever so slightly, moving it a few mm to the left. Handling improved dramatically. I could leave with hands off the handle effortlessly. The other day I was finding it difficult to maintain balance. Small adjustments in the saddle position goes a really long way. 

Riding with hands off the bar has a major advantage. It allows you to relax your shoulders and hands. I think my week long exercise to strengthen the core also paid some dividend. When you ride hands off the bar you are actually engaging your core more. So it helps to have more strength there. 

I remember - in my childhood I could ride for miles with my hands off the bar and even in pitch dark on known roads. I cannot imagine doing that even for a few seconds now.

A Long Sunday Ride

I had planned to go out as early as possible. But then lethargy set in. I had watched a football match the previous night. So was feeling sleepy. I decided to sleep despite waking up at around 5 am. Finally I managed to go out at 7 am. Monisha made me a couple of sandwiches with chicken salami and cheese. The front handlebar bag from Via Terra had come the previous afternoon. I could easily fit the largish tiffin box in it and off I went.

It turned out to be the longest ride on the Surly so far. I went way beyond the new St Xavier's University. Up to where the 4 lane road ends. A few years ago we used to come here for birding when this road was being built. Lots of pipits, munias, zitting cisticolas, not to speak of the Bengal Bushlark. The new 4-laned road ends at a T junction, where the upper arm of the T is an old road. To the left are places like Lauhati, Polerhat and Bhojerhat. To the right is Ghatakpukur. I have no idea how far Ghatakpukur is from here. But that narrow road didn't give me enough confidence to want to explore. These roads are frequented by dangerous pick up trucks belonging to the fishery industry. They don't mind killing pedestrians and cyclists in their hurry. They themselves also routinely get killed.

I felt fairly good and strong during the ride. But I never tried to speed up. Maintained what is known as a conversational speed. Finally at around 11 am when I was near Chingrihata, I started getting bored and came home.

The next morning is important. I think I had some ulnar nerve problems the next morning but that is perhaps more because of sleeping posture than from cycling. If it was due to cycling I would've felt it during the ride itself - like I did last time when I went for a 90 km ride. I could barely change gears with my fingers. It wasn't like that this time at all. But then I have ridden 75 km plus before and never got any ulnar nerve issue. So probably 90 km is what I need to ride on the Surly and see how the ulnar nerve reacts. 

Here are a few pics from the ride. I had initially intended to go to Dalhousie. But then found Red Road was closed. Possibly some marathon was on. So turned around and went off to New Town area. Had half a mind to cross the bridge and go past Satragachhi. Learnt two important things about route selection. The route via Chingrihata right turn is bad for a few hundred meters after the bridge merges with the road, which in itself is a dangerous point. Also, VIP Road is really bad once the sun is up, especially on the way back. So it makes sense to go via VIP Road and come back through New Town. 

While coming back, I cut my shin (blame the metallic MKS pedal) due to bad handling of the cycle at a tea stall. Not a major gash or cut. Just the top few micro millimeters got scraped. No bleeding and it is almost cured now. 

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.

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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