Mermaid's repair/rebuild

Bike components wear out.
Bits get changed as time goes on.
Mermaid had developed several faults after I broke both the cranks, so it was time for some major repairs.
While I was there, rather than just substitute "like for like", I made a few upgrades as well.
A new pair of tyres, too.
Schwalbe Marathon Plus, naturally.

New bike lights from Lidl

New bike lights from Lidl. Rated at 30lux/1watt for the front, and a fifth of a watt for the rear.
They don't look that bright in the picture because I am using a 4W LED table lamp only about
15cm (6 inches) away to illuminate the photograph!

Went to the Lidl cycling promotion today.
Got a set of new lights for the winter.
1 W front (rated at 30 lux), and a 0.2W rear.
It seems to throw a decent beam up the garden, even though it isn't dark yet.
As I do most of my "night" commuting on an off-road cycle route, that'll do nicely!
There is also a 30/15 lux high/low power button on the headlight that I'll need to fiddle with, just to see what it does :-)
The lights come with "disposable" batteries, but the instructions say they will work with rechargeables too,
So when the included batteries need replacing, I'll be fitting rechargables!
The headlight even has a recharging socket on the bottom! (but no charger in the pack),
I guess it is the same pair of lights being packaged in a number of different ways to fit more than one price point!

Anyway the beam is noticeably whiter and a good bit brighter that the 2.4W halogen light we bought from the same store a couple of years ago, which, iirc, was rated at 15 lux, rather than the 30 of the new unit.

Update: 1st November 2014
When the "standard" batteries included in the pack ran out, I put four 1.2v NiMH batteries in the light instead.
And it works!
Although the nominal voltage to the bulb has dropped from 6v (4x 1.5v "alkaline") to 4.8v (4 x 1.2v NiMH), it has no effect on output.
I rather suspect that the 6v battery input was regulated down to a similar level to the 4.8v input anyway!

Now for the second test - can I recharge the NiMH batteries IN the light, using the charging socket on the bottom, and an old charger I found at home?
Yep, that works too!
I have a 6v, positive centre, charger that came with a haolgen headlight I bought from Lidl a couple of years ago and it works fine.
(I also have an even older 7.5v charger that came with an earlier light set from Lidl, that isn't suitable, and, very sensibly, Lidl have put a different "tip" on the cable of that one, so it won't fit into the lamp's charging socket anyway!)
To date, I have recharged the NiMH batteries twice so far, both times "in situ" (that is to say, without having to take the light apart).
Takes all night to charge, though, but that was true of the halogen light set that the "old" charger came from, too!

So my earlier guess was right - the front light from this set IS exactly the same as one that would be sold with rechargeable batteries and a charger (at, presumably, a higher price point!)

So if you have a 6v +ve centre charger or a universal charger with a variety of tips) then this light is even better value, as the included batteries can be swapped for four rechargeables, and it works fine, AND the batteries can be recharged without taking the lamp body apart!

One other thing, although the (plastic) mounts could be a bit more robust-looking, they are fine for the price this light is sold at, and the front mount has a useful "pivot" feature, so it can be swung a bit to the left or right, which is handy when coming up a cycle path next to the "wrong" side of the road, and one doesn't want to dazzle other road users.
The rear mount is a kind of clip round affair, which is pretty adapatable in what it can be mounted to - much more than most of the cheap rear brackets whic seem to only really fit a seat post. I have strapped this one to my rear luggage carrier (which is where I like my rear light!)

So all in all, 10 out of 10 for value!
as for durability, only time will tell, and I will write a proper test review when I have used it a bit longer.

But so far it is a fabulous light that only cost me in the region of 10 bucks (about 6 or 7 pounds)

Update: 23rd November 2014: The front light doesn't work anymore. Grrr!

Shopping by bike, in the rain

Mermaid ready for the shopping trip
The left-hand pannier is a lockable box pannier from Bike Bins,
whilst the right-hand pannier is an open-topped Pacific Outdoor
CoOp pannier.

I locked the panniers to the rack, just to be on the safe side.

Aldi used to have more bike parking,
but, as you can see, as they have
become ever more popular, they have
started putting the extra trolleys in the
bike parking!

On the other side of the road is Lidl, which has
a promotion on cycle stuff. New lights for the
Winter and a new saddle for me should do it!

My Air saddle is rather worn, so time for a new one!

Down the belt at the checkout in Lidl goes my shopping

All loaded up.
The Pacific Outdoor pannier is rather overloaded, but it got home OK

My nice cork grips are a bit wet

One of my favourite short-cuts.
It takes me from the main road and through
a quiet residential street.

well, the top of my shorts stayed dry ...

The Pacific Outdoor Pannier weighs in at 11.3 kg (about 25 lbs)

While the BikeBins pannier comes in at 7 kg (about 15 lbs)

And here's the stuff I got, showing what went onto each pannier!

Tips to help keep your bike on the road

Hi.
Just a few tips to help keep your bike on the road.

Working space

Think about where you will do your bike maintenance.
Our garage is a dark (no electricity!) and crowded (we have all sorts of old junk in there!)
So I put an old (deflated) airbed down in front of it, and make a porch using the rear "hatch" of our car. Keeps the worst of the wet off, as well as giving me somewhere to sit while I am cleaning, inspecting etc. etc. (our car has a flat floor in the boot/trunk, with no ledge/lip)

An impromtu, but effective, shelter for bike repair.

the car boot door (hatch) and the garage door
keep ost of the rain off

From the other side. The window in the car boot door (hatch) keeps the rain off, while allowing the light in.
The old airbed protects parts from being scraped on the tarmac (asphalt) floor

 

 

Keep a few spares

Brake cables
Sometimes things wear out - brake cables, for example.
Usually, you get a warning - the brake becomes harder to use, or the lever doesn't return to the correct position after use, or it just feels "funny".
This can be a sign that the cable inner (the silver/grey wire that does the work, and is made up of a lot of thin strands of wire twisted together) is wearing out, and the little wires have started to break.
Best to check the cable, and do something about it NOW!

Of course, this always happens in the evening, or on a Sunday when the bike shop is closed :-)
This is even more likely if you are in charge of the maintenance for "the family" and their bikes - the darling "significant other" just drops it into conversation during Sunday lunch, and mentions how her back brake "feels funny".

So ...
The best thing to do is to have some brake cables already in the house!
They are not very big, and can be stored at the bottom of a wardrobe, or wherever, if you are not as lucky as me (I have a garage, so they are stored on the "bike" shelf, in a box marked clearly "Bike Bits".

Which leads me into another topic - storage organisation. There is no point having things in stock if you can't find them when you need them!

Inner Tubes
We all get punctures.
Even if we have the most puncture-resistant tyres, punctures are still a (hopefully very rare) reality.
The Schwalbe marketing material for their Marathon Plus range shows how you can stick a drawing pin ("thumb tack") into the tyre and still not puncture it.
But what about a nail that's longer?
A roofing nail that can stand on it's broad head (looks a bit like an oversized thumb tack) is going to go through.

So...
Keep in some spare inner tubes - in every size you are likely to need.
I have 622 tubes (for my 700c tyres on my bike), 559 tubes (for Anna's 26-inch wheel bike), and 406 tubes (for our daughter's 20-inch wheel bike).
As usual, I'm likely to be told about a puncture after I have come home from a long day at work, and the local bike shop has closed for the night.
So I keep them "in stock" in the garage - again, where I can find them.

I keep 20 inch (406mm), 26 inch (559mm) and 700c (622mm) tubes in stock.
Because punctures ALWAYS happen when the shops are closed!
There is a spare pedal and some other bits and bobs in their too.
And old pedal might not be stylish, but it allows you to ride to work the next morning!

Tools and repairing

Some folks are more mechanically minded than others.
Some folks like to sit in the garage, up to their elbows in dirt, while some folks detest it.
But if you want to ride every day, you're going to have to have a minimum amount of tools and skills to keep those bikes running.

It is OK to get a bike shop to do "the big jobs", but changing brake cables and fixing punctures is something that someone in the household is going to have to know (and in our household, the "nominated" person is ME!)
Don't be afraid to get someone to show you how it is done - indeed, some cycling clubs and some cycling organisations, and even some shops, do "cycle maintenance" course, which there may well be a charge for.
If you are happy with online videos (it used to be books in the "old days"), and a good bit of imagination, then that is fine, too. The first time you do a job, it takes a lot longer, and you might have to have a couple of goes at it, but after a few times it gets easier and quicker.

In the long run, the skills learnt will save you money, and more importantly, offer you convenience, so that you can spend more time riding, and less time working out how to get your bike to the bike shop for repair.

So you are going to need some tools!

A decent set of hex keys (Allen keys) is a worthwhile investment ...

Can you get the old brake cable off? (and the new one back on?)
Depending on what model of brake you have, you may need a flat-head screwdriver, a cross-head screwdriver, or an allen key (it has a hexagonal head).
Make sure you have one!
Also, after you have fitted the new cable (which tends to be extra long, so it fits all bikes"), you will want to trim the extra end off the cable.
Indeed, if you use "universal" brake cables, they have two ends on them, and you have to cut off the one you don't want BEFORE you can fit it!
A cable cutter is the best option, but a decent set of pliers will do - there is usually a "side cutting" section on the pliers for jobs just like this.
Watch a few online vidoes, or read a bike book, for further advice.

Can you get the wheels off? (and back on?)
Some bikes have Quick Release mechanisms on the wheels, so you just turn a lever, and the wheel can be removed.
Many "commuter" bikes don't - and that can be an advantage, because it makes the wheels harder to steal!
So make sure you have a decent spanner (wrench) that will get the wheels off.
The most common size on "regular" bikes is a 15mm size, but BMX bikes can take a different size.
Find out what sizes you need, and get the tools - something as simple as a 1/2-inch drive socket set may well be enough.
And don't forget to do the wheels up pretty tightly after you put them back on!

Can you get the tyre off? (and back on?)
A proper puncture repair kit will have two or three little "tyre levers" to help you do this. the tyre levers are MUCH better than a screwdriver which can scratch the rim and damage the inner tube far more easily.
Whether you use a patch to repair the tube, or whether you just replace the whole tube, is up to you.
It is worth mentioning the "three patches" rule of thumb, though - when your inner tube has more than three patches on it, it is time to fit another tube! (The logic is that the more patches there are, the more likely it is that one comes loose, and then you'd have to find which patch is loose, and take it off, and put another on etc. etc.)

Lidl has a cycling promotion starting Bank Holiday Monday!

Lidl is a "value" German supermarket chain with quite a lot of stores in the UK.
Periodically they have cycling promotions.
There is one in the UK starting on Bank Holiday Monday (the 25th August).

there are cycling jerseys, helmets, tights and bib tights, sports glasses (keeps the bugs out of your eyes!), a floor pump (the replacement model for the one I have), a set of battery bike lights, and an air-cushioned saddle (just like the one I have!)

What do I think of their stuff?
Well, I reviewed the previous model of their floor pump a while back, and gave it an 8,
It is a good, basic, pump for hybrid and mountain bike tyres. The maximum rated pressure is 6 bar (85 psi), but my recommendation is that it works best on tyres up to 5 bar (70 psi) - such as the 47-559 (26-inch) Marathon Plus tyres on Anna's bike.
So if you have a "road bike" with dead hard tyres, this pump isn't going to be able to inflate them fully, but for the rest of us, it is fine!
I reckon that my Revolution Track Pump Sport (that's a mouthful!) from the Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative is just that bit better, but it costs three times as much as the "Crivit"-branded Lidl pump is now priced at just £4.99 ($8, €6), which is about half what I paid for the previous model of the same pump!
So, for a fiver, you can't go wrong!
If you ride a "mountain" bike, a hybrid, or just a "classic"-styled bike, and you haven't got a track pump yet, this is a good one to start with!

I'll probably pick up a set of their bike lights, too.
They tend to have a rechargeable front light, with a rear light that takes disposable batteries. The front light is usually rechargeable because it uses more power because it is MUCH brighter than the rear!
We have a couple of sets of Lidl's previous bike lights, where the front light has a halogen bulb, and the rear has three little LEDs, but this new set is advertised as being an "LED" set, so I'm hoping for a front LED light as well!
LED lights are about three times brighter or last three times longer (or a bit of both) compared to Halogen lights, so they are a major step up in technology.
Anyway, not sure if these LED lights use rechargeable batteries or not - the picture on their website shows what looks like 4AA "regular" batteries with the light, so I suspect not.
I'll let you know when I see them in the shop!
At £6.99 ($11.20, €8.40), they are worth a look!

I'll be getting a new bike saddle too.
They are nowhere near as well made as, say a Brooks, - so screws etc., can come loose (and fall out and get lost - which is what happened to mine!) after a several years.
But the price is just £9.99 ($16, €12), and I find mine pretty comfortable.
Indeed, I have completed 100 miles of cycling in just one day with a saddle just like this one!
And I could still walk the next day!

Always worth keeping an eye out for the unadvertised offer, as well. It would not surprise me if they have some inner tubes or suchlike on sale at the same time.

Just bear in mind that all the stuff I have mentioned is "consumer"-grade equipment.
If you have a £1000+ bike, and you know what it weighs to within 10 grammes or so, and you like to think of your self as an "amateur pro", then you might be happier looking elsewhere.
But for us "normal" folks that ride 365 days a year, rain or shine, sometimes short distances, sometimes longer, folks that commute and shop and just get about on our bikes, then we are the market that Lidl is aiming for!

Everything is "subject to stock" of course, and, if you are in the Aylesbury baranch of Lidl on Monday, I might just see you there!

Views of the Bridge

The Bourg Walk at night

The Bourg Walk is very close to both the Bus Station and the Train Station

The main support pillar

The centrepiece of the cycling infrastructure in our town (Aylesbury) is the £8 million ($13 million, €10 million) bridge that joins the northern cycle routes to the southern ones, providing a traffic-free crossing right in the centre of town.
Here are a few views of that bridge, "The Bourg Walk"

In the January mist, crossing the Bourg Walk from the "town" side.