A Few Decathlon Purchases

Today I made a few purchases from the Decathlon shop.

Two bungee cords (100 cm) - Rs 399

A bottle cage - Rs 199

A medium size microfibre towel - Rs 199

A raincover for the backpacks (20 to 35 litres) - Rs 399

Other than this there was another plastic carabiner for keys at home for Rs 99 and a compass cum thermometer cum whistle for Mampu for Rs 299.

March 28, 2019

Bought two Schwalbe tubes for the LHT from Giant store in Bentinck Street. This makes me ready for the Darjeeling trip. After the blow out of the OE tube during installation of the Marathon tyres, I had consumed my first spare and ran out of any spare tube. Made amends today. These cost me Rs 400 each. Now, I will have to keep them in the front handlebar bag.

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

A New Spare Tube

After the puncture of the front tube last Sunday I ordered for another spare tube for the saddle bag from Bums On The Saddle Bangalore. It arrived today and I promptly put it in the bag. Now I know how important it is to have it with you when you are out on the road beyond walkable distance from home. By the way, that's super fast delivery from BOTS.

This is not a review as I am yet to use it but just jotting down the details of the tube. It's a Schwalbe tube. Size is obviously 700C 18-25. The length of the valve is 60 mm. The dust cap on the valve is a cute transparent one. The OE dust caps were black. The replacement Maxxis is orange. This is transparent. Quite a range. I do not know if the core is removable. If it is I will use Loctite to fix it tight so that no air can escape through the gap.

It might just be a perception but I think this tube is a little heavier than the OE tube. I have been handling it every now and then in these last couple of days.

I have half a mind to put this on and see how this size measures up. The replacement Maxxis I used that day near AIR was a little longer than my rim's circumference. I somehow shoved it in. But now I am curious to check this out. It is also not a bad idea to check out a new tube at home, rather than be surprised by something nasty on the road. Let me think about it.

Fixing a Puncture on the Road

Yesterday the thing I dread most about cycling happened. I got a puncture. Not too far away from home but not a very walk able distance either. I was around 7 kms away from home. Right in front of All India Radio office. It was around quarter to six in the morning when it happened. It was the front tyre.

I will write down chronologically the exact chain of events. But first my mental reaction. "Oh God. Had to happen on a day when I am not carrying my pump. Didn't I just see Rana cross and wave at me near Eden Gardens (he was going towards Mohun Bagan stadium and I was headed towards HSBC)? He usually carries a pump on his back pocket. Let me see if he receives the phone. I have the spare tube in my saddle bag. Or shall I just get a cab and hop in? Feeling like I perhaps need a potty break. Can I wait for that long?"

I first took out my phone and switched off Strava. Next I phoned Rana. He not only received my phone but said most reassuringly, "just wait where you are. I am coming." After about ten minutes he came along. We met near the traffic island in front of the cenotaph where the road forks out towards AIR and Eden Gardens. 

I had half a mind to take a cab and just go home. Rana took the pump out and said, "do you have the tube?" I said yes. He said, change it. Sit comfortably on the side walk of the island and change the tube and then go home. "Oho Rana. Let me just take a cab home." "Dada, you take a cab. No problem. But first change the tube and then take a cab. You will not get another opportunity very soon of doing it on the road. Just do it. Don't avoid it." 

I thought what he says makes eminent sense. Instead of chickening out I should take the battle head on and win it. Once you go through the process next time you will be more confident. The conditions were right. Weather was fine. Hardly any people. India has this problem of onlookers crowding around you when they see you doing something on the road. Most importantly, I would not be completely alone. Rana would be around. 

Rana said he would be cycling around this area and come once every 15 minutes or so to check out on my progress. He was going in rounds along the route of Strand Road - Princep Ghat - Police Training School - Victoria - Fort William - Red Road. Those who are familiar with Calcutta would know this is a circular stretch of about 5/7 kms. 

I parked the bike against a lamp post. Looked at the watch. It was 6:08 am. 

Step one. Take the tools out and keep them ready. I took my tools out of the saddle bag. The spare new tube a Maxxis 700C 18-25 with a 48 mm valve stem, the Park Tool tyre lever set. That's all one needs really. 

Step Two. Take off the wheel. This takes a few seconds. I took off the front wheel. Next was to take the tube out. I had to struggle a bit with the levers. But finally I managed to take the tube out. To my utter surprise I discovered, the tube had still some air left in it and wasn't quite completely flat. I pushed the air out. I had half a mind to try and pump on the same tube and go home. Then I thought, what's the point. When the main work is done, might as well change the old tube. 

I cleaned the inside of the tyre but found nothing. I guess this was a very fine hidden sort of leak. I will have to research this out. The tube lasted for about 650 kms.

Now came the confusing part. The OE tube which had developed a puncture sits snug on the wheel. But this new tube was slightly longer than the OE one. About an inch more. Did I get the right size? I got a tad nervous here and decided to wait for Rana. Soon enough he arrived on the scene. I explained to him the problem. He checked it out and said nothing was wrong with the size. Push it in Dada. "By the way, why did you take off the entire tyre from the wheel?" "Well, I kind of thought this is the right thing to do." OK. Go ahead and put it back. 

Now started the struggle to put the tube round the wheel and fit the tyre back on. I cannot remember exactly what I did but there were lots of trial and errors and finally I succeeded in putting the damn thing back on. One of the tricks to know here is that use both your hands to put the tyre's edge back on so that it is done uniformly on both the sides. 

Next step was pumping the tube up. Rana's small pocket size pump did a wonderful job here. I do not know how much pressure it managed to create but it felt tight pretty soon; the tyre felt tight enough to take me home. After a few quick photographs I put the wheel back on. It had taken a total of 40 minutes to do the complete job. I think next time I can finish it in 20 minutes. I am more than certain.

All photographs taken after the tube was changed

Rana came along once again. I returned his pump with a lot of thanks. He indeed not only saved me, he gave me the courage and encouragement to earn this important right of passage in the world of cycling. My father would have been very proud of me. He always wanted me to learn this very important job of how to fix one's own punctures. But I could never learn it because we did not have youtube in those days. I am sure yesterday he saw me do it from wherever he is. I am very grateful to you for instilling these ambitions in me. Too bad you cannot see it all or I cannot go back home and tell you these stories. 

Lessons Learnt

1. I should have known the tube was bad even before starting. I found it was almost flat in the morning when I started. Tubes lose some air when you don't ride for some time. But they don't go flat like that. Alarm should have rung when I found the back wheel did not lose that much pressure. 

2. Always carry all your equipment. Pump, spare tube and levers. I was lucky I had Rana. I might not have him. I normally carry my small pump. But these days since I am riding mostly within city limits I got a little casual. But I have to remember that walking seven kilometers with a flat tyre bike is not easy or comfortable.

3. Should have perhaps checked out the new tube (Maxxis bought from Good Earth) in the comfort of my house rather than on the road. I have already ordered for the next tube. A Schwalbe 700 18-28C with 60 mm valve (my OE needs 48 but this brand does not seem to have that size. 40 or 60 - I chose 60). 

4. Don't be afraid of soiling your hands but you can use the gloves to take the wheel out. Also, overcome the inhibition to squat on the footpath. After completing the job, I used the water from my drinking bottle to wash my hands.

5. Have to practice taking off the rear wheel. It is not as easy as the front wheel. Particularly putting it back on. I have done it a few times. But it's like those tougher chapters in Mathematics. You do it once and then avoid, thinking you will somehow manage in the exam hall. In the exam hall a friend my bail you out but on the street there will be no one to help you.

6. Must carry small change for Sulav Souchalaya and some toilet paper in the saddle bag.

Epilogue

As I was riding back home slowly down the road near Victoria and it had gotten a bit late by my standard (around 7ish) I saw a group of amateur photographers out on their morning shooting practice. The probably spotted me before I did and started clicking me in all seriousness. I guess with my red bicycle and orange jersey I was perhaps looking like a professional cyclist to them (but a complete MAMIL to myself). I smiled at them. That possibly spoilt their frame but I surely felt like winning a stage in le Tour de France.

Back Home

Just checked the punctured tube. A. The core of the valve is possibly a fixed one and cannot be removed to apply Loctite (incidentally it is available in India now through Henkel). B. The pressure in the tube that I fixed on the road was just 20 psi. Disappointingly low and could cause another puncture if I had hit a hole in high speed. But as I said, it felt pretty tight to finger pressure. I have to check how good my own pump is. C. The air loss problem is not with the valve. There indeed is a leak that has developed just under the valve area. I filled the tube with a lot of air and sunk it in water. Bubbles immediately started coming out from a point. Possibly in low pressure the air loss isn't much. But nevertheless it is not insignificant. I am tempted to buy a puncture repair kit and fix it myself to keep it as a spare tube.

Fixing The Puncture

Certain things about Calcutta are so disgusting. After discovering the small puncture in the OE tube I was in a dilemma. Whether to fix it myself or get it done by one of the street side repair guys. I thought DIY would mean investing in a few patches, some cement and a piece of sandpaper (these repair guys typically paste the sandpaper around a small metal tube and make a nice sanding block that is useful). I have no problem with the investment but since I don't foresee too many punctures happening in the future I thought investing in the full kit would be a waste of money. Also the cement might freeze by the time the next puncture develops.

So last evening I went to the nearest puncture repair guy in the neighbourhood. This is a small shop near the Mudiali Meat Shop and they repair motorcycle, car and commercial vehicle tyres and tubes. I went with the OE tube and my mini pump because I foresaw them saying, "we don't have the adapter to pump this valve" etc. This bored looking Bihari shop owner (who didn't have any customer) took a casual look at the tube and said, "no we cannot do this" and looked the other way. I told him that I had the pump but he refused to listen, saying this is too small for them. He refused to get into any discussion and kept saying, "go to a cycle repair shop".

There is a second shop right next to the guy. This fellow didn't look as bored but he also denied. I asked him what is wrong and why is a cycle tube so different from a car tube. He said, this type of rubber is too thin and we don't have the right file to clean it. Our files would tear the rubber. Go to the cycle repair guys. They will do it with a sand paper !!!

Today I went to the nearest cycle repair shop. This is just before Grand Saloon. The bugger is closed.  It was in the evening. Around 7.30 pm. He is not even a shop. Just sits by the road side with a floor standing pump and a wooden box with some tools. But I see him busy fixing a bike almost all the time.

Adamant. I went all the way to Kalighat Road (the friendly neighbourhood red light district) where there is a big cycle repair shop. It's a proper shop with 2/3 mechanics. This bugger is also closed. Had to come back home fuming.

However, I learnt to push out the last mili gram of air out of the tube. You just roll it up like a tooth paste tube, working towards the valve and keep pressing the valve from time to time. Every single drop (?) of air would come out and the tube would become completely flat.