CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[DHallworth]

Your exercise posts make me feel tired reading them, Jim

I get palpitations just walking past the door to the gym that Cheryl works in and I only tend to pop in there as they serve Costa Coffee

David.

[white exec]

We're enjoying having you back, Jim - or, is it only me who's noticed a change of ambiance? A little more nonsense/frivolity/bonhomie?

No, the recent difference is palpable - and long may it continue!

[CitroJim]

We're enjoying having you back, Jim - or, is it only me who's noticed a change of ambiance? A little more nonsense/frivolity/bonhomie?

No, the recent difference is palpable - and long may it continue!

Yes, me too!! I think that it's all to do with my life finally getting nicely sorted and into a good sort of groove these days... I'm thoroughly loving each day and living each day to the maximum extent and doing my very best to extract the fullest from every one... By and large that works...

I don't take life very seriously - except where I must - and look for a good giggle wherever possible

Your exercise posts make me feel tired reading them, Jim

It's one of the three cornerstones that keeps me more or less functional David... Exercise, good food and low stress... It seems to work too but then I do love it... In fact I'm addicted to it now I miss it terribly when I don't run and cycle especially...

Happy to report I'm back to normal today, I've not long since returned from a lovely 4 mile run Off swimming in a bit and then off for 50 or so miles on the bike...

I'll then see if my bike work yesterday has resolved the funny little noise issue I had...

It'll be good to have brakes again too

[Mandrake]

Your exercise posts make me feel tired reading them, Jim

I get palpitations just walking past the door to the gym that Cheryl works in and I only tend to pop in there as they serve Costa Coffee

Ditto.

I knew Jim would be back sooner or later. Looks like it was sooner! Welcome back Jim.

[CitroJim]

I knew Jim would be back sooner or later. Looks like it was sooner! Welcome back Jim.

Thanks Simon

A bit more bike work yesterday afternoon after being slightly unhappy with the smoothness of the gearchange
during a long ride out to one of our favourite cafes where I enjoyed a most excellent Eccles cake

Own Work

I remembered that just before I laid up this bike for the summer it fell over in the wind one day onto the derailleur and slightly bent the hanger it mounts onto... I thought I'd fixed it with a bit of judicious on-bike bending but not so...

I had the hanger off - the bit between the frame and the derailleur proper in the picture - and carefully straightened it ad checking it was truly straight by laying it on the lathe bed. Seems OK now but the true test will be on my ride today...

Own Work

Derailleur adjustment and setup is more a black art than an exact science!

A picture taken of us on or ride yesterday at our cafe stop... We do rather enjoy our rides and we do try to get some good pictures...

BCG Facebook

This morning, before I go for my next club ride I'm fitting some new tyres... Some of these lovelies

Own Work

[NewcastleFalcon]

This morning, before I go for my next club ride I'm fitting some new tyres... Some of these lovelies

With Black Chilli Compound? You could always grow your own

https://thehippyseedcompany.com/product ... ck-chilli/

Regards Neil

[Hell Razor5543]

Well, I am sure Jim could succeed where Henry Ford failed;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fordlândia

[CitroJim]

Well, I am sure Jim could succeed where Henry Ford failed;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fordlândia

This is what I so love about this forum - awesomely interesting stuff like this Thank James... Never knew any of that...

With Black Chilli Compound? You could always grow your own

Ahh, so that's what makes those tyres so awesome As a chilli lover I'd love to try those... Hope they don't taste rubbery though

I'll have much to say about those new tyres in a later post First, I have a bit more bike fettling to do

[Hell Razor5543]

There is a program on Yesterday called "Abandoned Engineering". Fordlandia turned up recently in one episode.

[CitroJim]

There is a program on Yesterday called "Abandoned Engineering". Fordlandia turned up recently in one episode.

Abandoned Engineering immediately makes me think of all the tragically disused railways in the UK and the engineering, both civil and mechanical, that was lost as a result

I believe BBC Channel 5 or whatever have been running a series on some disused railways... Not seen it as I have no telly but tonight they are, according to some Facebook groups I follow, covering a disused railway close to my heart - the Somerset and Dorset... I'm sure Facebook will tell me what went on...

I put the new tyres on my bike this morning and rather than brave the cold workshop I did it in the lounge... Bad decision... Warm and comfy yes, but I did not take into account the mucky water inside the old tyres Cue a need to carry out some emergency shampooing of the lounge carpet

It was worth doing as the transformation with the new tyres is like night and day... The GP4000s are light, comfy and have very low rolling resistance - the exact opposite of the old Gatorskins I had on previously... The Gatorskins have good puncture resistance but are sods to get on and off the rims if they do puncture... The GP4000s have some resistance but against that they are easy to get on and off. I'd rather have high performance tyres and have to tolerate a few punctures than suffer the horrors of Gatorskins

The work I did on the derailleur hanger was a complete success and my gears are now as slick as can be - In fact the bike is a real pleasure to ride now except for one thing. The freehub is very noisy and rough...

This afternoon I tried to strip it but it's a sealed unit... I did manage to get some lube into it and it seems better now... The real test will be on Sunday on a 100 mile club ride!!! I fear I'll have to replace it eventually though...

Today's club ride was to the OSO in Cranfield... There I enjoyed the most sublime mango cheesecake - it was positively delicious

Own Work but baked by the OSO Cafe!

We started the ride in cold thick fog but it soon burned off and turned out a truly gorgeous morning - if perhaps just a little on the cool side...

It was freezing (yes, a frost) when I went running at 04:30 this morning...

I'll be at parkrun in the morning and then spending the afternoon with my youngest daughter... That'll be lovely as I've not seen her for a few weeks...

[Fake Concern]

Nice to see you back Jim!
I'm finding your bike posts very interesting as since I've retired I have been upping my cycling mileage back to my commuting levels and doing at least 100 miles a week (I see you are much higher than that, but I'm still married and need to give time to keeping that healthy!).
I recently bought myself a retirement present of a new full carbon bike which I love. I have had a couple of issues with it though...
1) The gears have been a menace as the rear one has been hard to keep the indexing working, I think the cable has been stretching quicker than I can adjust it) and the front one keeps chucking the chain off on upchanges a couple of times each ride annoyingly scratching the chainset which is black! I can't see any thing wrong with the adjustment on it.
2) The shop suggested that 28mm tyres would be a good upgrade so i went with Pirelli All Season tyres 28mm. Previously I've had 23mm Vitoria and the Gatorskins you dislike (I think it depends what rim you have as I had no problem getting them on). Anyway I suddenly noticed I was taking two 23mm inner tubes with me for 28mm tyres (doh!) so bought the correct tubes & promptly had a puncture! However I also noticed the extra bulk and weight of the larger tubes (I carry them in my jersey back pockets) and also it feels like they hold me back on the hills. Now I wonder if I should have gone for 25mm tyres like you. I should add that despite what it "feels" like, Strava tells me that the new bike with massive tyres is faster on all segments!

In a week or so I will take the bike in so I can have the free service, free bike fit and have the steerer cut to length so hopefully the gear issues will be resolved if not the huge balloon tyres!

Glad you are enjoying life in the retired lane as I am!

[CitroJim]

Glad you are enjoying life in the retired lane as I am!

Oh yes!!! The financial hit is worth every penny

Excellent on the bike and miles Fake Yes, I can top 300 some weeks!

Your gear indexing... The cable shouldn't really keep stretching like that... I had a similar problem once and it was because the cable outer was not properly anchored at one end where it went into the frame and moved about a bit... I find setting up the indexing is very critical and more of an art!!!

But once achieved it's lovely

A derailleur slightly out of adjustment irritates the heck out of me... But a perfectly adjusted one really gives me great satisfaction... I find once good, both my Dura-Ace and Ultegra groupsets stay in adjustment for months on end...

The chain being thrown off by the front mech. may be down to incorrectly adjusted limit screws and/or cable adjustment... Loosen the cable right off and set the limit screws and then reset the cable so that it changes cleanly but no more...

I have a good document on setting them up and could send you a copy if it might be useful?

28mm tyres are the way to go it seems... Counter-intuitive it seems but all say the same as you... I'm limited to 25mm tyres by my frames and caliper brakes...

So what nice new bike did you get then? And what spec.?

[Gibbo2286]

I could never get on with derailleur gears, always had Sturmey Archer four speed wide ratio...…………………...but that was a long time ago.

I see they're still made in the USA, Europe and China but never see them offered here.

http://sturmey-archer.com/

[CitroJim]

I could never get on with derailleur gears, always had Sturmey Archer four speed wide ratio...…………………...but that was a long time ago.

I see they're still made in the USA, Europe and China but never see them offered here.

http://sturmey-archer.com/

That, I think is because Shimano have the market well covered here with their 7 and 8 speed versions such as the Alfine...

They offer a belt-drive version too - no maintenance and clean - no messy chain oil!

Fake, one thing I meant to say earlier - never trust your LBS (Local Bike Shop) to set up your derailleurs. They have neither the time, patience or skill in many cases to do it at all properly...

Today has been truly great I enjoyed a brilliant parkrun and I actually drove Sian's Pixo there and back! First time I've driven in three weeks and the last outing was to parkrun! I then drove to the station to pick up Sian. We spent a great lunchtime together and now she's run off with the Pixo for the weekend Not that I need it for another week at least

I am now determined to try and slowly up my driving and see if, with care, I can get a bit happier and content behind the wheel. Today was not too bad but as soon as I got to the station i was very happy to hand the keys over to Sian... It's a good start though

Then I spent some very good quality time with a visitor in the form of James (Hellrazor) James, it was absolutely wonderful to see you, a real pleasure even though I was/am still busy getting ready for my 100 mile bike ride tomorrow

Had an odd thing happen late last evening... I went out to the bins, walked past my Saxo and noticed an unopened pack of digestive biscuits resting on the rear wiper I have no idea why or how and nobody as so far claimed responsibility... I'm totally baffled by it

This is how I found them...

Own Work

This photo is staged - as James will attest to - as it was too dark last evening to get a good shot...

I don't eat them so if they go unclaimed I'll use them to make a cheesecake base

[CitroJim]

The mystery of 'Biscuitgate' has now been solved and the culprit revealed...

I'm saying no more at this stage...

Except that he's known in these parts...

Totally gutted I missed a flying visit from him yesterday