[ebonho]

I picked up a bad iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) repetitive overuse injury in my right knee midway through the 400 BRM on Soalpur road in December of 2017. A lot of things contributed to it. I had ramped up my mileage hugely in the past 3 months with more than 3000 kms done in those 3 months, compared to a total of 6000 kms for the whole of 2017. I had also raised my saddle a bit after the 300, looking for a slightly more aero position for longer distances. In the practice rides between the 300 and the 400 (you get just 14 days in between BRMs to recover and get the legs spinning again) the distances were not long enough for it to push the knee past the breaking point. But the day of the 400 was hot. We (a Giant SCR roadie and me) were chasing another super randonneur friend of ours on a Scultura (Merida roadie). On the flat Solapur road, with his speed, the sun beating down, and us not stopping for the required number of hydration and stretch breaks chasing a speeding roadie, all of that pushed the knee over the edge and sharp stabbing shooting pains started at the outside of my knee with every pedal stroke.

We reached the turnaround point in second position thanks to this relentless pace (averaging nearly 28 kmph over these 200 kms), just behind our friend and another guy (a super strong triathlete, also on a Merida Ride roadie). They were done with their food and were about to take off when we rolled in. Once I got the gear off and lay down for a breather I realized the enormity of the damage I had done to my knee. I also realized when we were about to restart that I had popped a spoke in my rear wheel (hitting one of the square raised reflectors nailed into the road at a high speed). With no mechanic in sight, and no spare spoke, and no idea how to fit one even if I did happen to have one, I twisted the broken spoke out of the way of the chain and freewheel around another adjoining spoke. And started off with the other guy.

2 km don the road I realised something was off and then remembered what it was. Where I had knelt to work on the broken spoke, I had left my water bottle. I did have my CamelBak, but the bottle contained my electrolytes, and with a busted knee, I would need those. So I told my partner to move on and turned back to get my bottle (hoping someone had not whisked it away). There was another rider (we had nicknamed Rainbow man because of his colorful gear) who by then had caught up with us and overtaken us, while I was working on my spoke. My partner set off in pursuit of him because it would soon get dark and riding alone was not an option. I found my bottle and turned back once more, by now about 4 km behind the two riders in front.

The knee was really paining now and I slowed up considerably and with a hundred kms to go, allowed some guys from behind to catch up for ride company in the night and to see if any of them had something for the pain. Something strong. Luckily one of the riders had combiflams and I took a few from him and then got into the rhythm of popping one, having a decent 30 minutes of relief where I picked up speed, and left the others behind, and then as the effect wore off I would slow down again, stop somewhere for tea or just a breather and allow the others to catch up. Somehow reached back inside 23 hours (of the stipulated 27) by 5 am, after having a puncture around 4 am and repairing it in the light of my headlight, luckily with another rider along with me for moral support and help.

The last BRM, the 600 was 2 weeks away and I took complete rest for a week, hoping the IT band would calm down and I would be able to ride. I tested my legs 7 days later on a short ride, and within 10 km the pain cam back. I rested again. Till the day before the BRM, having paid the fee for it anyways just in case. Tested my legs again, and this time the pain came back even faster. So that was it. I tried contacting my army batchmates and guys in the Army Sports Center for some solutions like dynamic taping or plasters that could get me through the next 36 hours, but everyone said that any tape would loosen and come off inside 6 hours with the movement and sweat, and after that I would get the pain again full blast. So with a heavy heart I shelved my SR dreams for that year, and concentrated the next few months on recovery, physio, exercises, and stretching routines. With only one more 600 BRM remaining in the current season calendar, in September, which at the time seemed a lifetime away.

When I finally got back to riding, my ACT was giving me some hub issues (later discovered it was more down to mechanic issues than hub issues ... those same hubs are rolling on her beautifully till this day, many thousands of kilometers later) so a friend suggested that I take his younger brother's Scott Sportster hybrid that was lying with him unused. I agreed, and it was the worst decision of my cycling life. From the beginning me and that bike never gelled, but I rationalized in my head that it had "superior specs" and that if I was slower on it than normal it was because I was coming back after months from an injury and I would need to take time to get back to my previous form.

Here are photos of an early ride, where those disc brakes made me lose my balance and footing on the metal pedals, with my right leg getting nicely gouged by the sharp pedal teeth, and me going over the handlebar too, in the process also breaking my headlight.









This is how much the 45K plus Scott hybrid weighed in at.



Did a lot of training miles on her nevertheless, with many mock 200s and 300s on the same route as the coming 600. But never really getting back into the old rhythm. Finally the day of the 600 came, and I was off, hoping to complete it in a slow and steady manner, till at the 150 km mark, just 50 km from the turnaround a heard a loud blast and realized that my rear tyre had blown out. When I got off to repair it I found what looked like a shard of fiber or bone that was INSIDE the tyre, with no hole or sign of entry on the outside! The tube was badly ripped up, and as luck would have it my spare tube too had a Presta valve core that I managed to break. No rider in sight with a hybrid (all were on 23/25c road bikes) and no way to repair the tube and move on, I called the support vehicle up at the turnaround point to see if they could carry my bike back while I hitched a ride on some vehicle back to Poona. The support car driver told me that they needed to keep the cycle carrier free (3 cycles) for any accident or injury or sickness and that I would need to find my own way back. So I got the bike together again, and finally managed to stop a small mini bus who agreed to give me and my bike a ride back to Poona.











Finally back home, disgusted and dejected ...



Decided I had enough of the "superior spec" paper tiger Scott, and put both the Scott and ACT into my Storme to get them both worked on. The Scott before I returned her with thanks. And my ACT to get riding again. Properly this time.

The hubs were done up nicely and the wheels trued. And the bottom bracket that was really gritty was completely overhauled by brand new bearings.











Blue looked and felt like a new bike now! And I felt really stupid for going with my head and not me heart and spending a miserable few months on a bike I was never comfortable on. And never connected with. Not even remotely in the league of how I ride my ACT.



And this is how much my humble 5k ACT weighs in at!





Back into training on my ACT and loving it. Even tried a more aero stem position, before moving back to my regular randonneuring one (which I still ride with ... partly because the adjustable stem is now permanently frozen in place. LOL)











The original pedals (the right one, since my right leg even with the injury exerts more power for each pedal stroke) started making a lot of clickety clack sounds, and finally I had to give up on them (though I've given them now to Narendra to see if he can work his magic and revive them ... original is original! - Old Bawa Saying) and replace them with a pair of new very smooth rotating VP's (which again now need similar working on, again for the right pedal).











And that's it for my photologue of my ACT 110. I will now report this post with a set of ACT posts from the mega thread which I believe could be migrated here to make this a complete Hercules ACT 110 database and archive for members and readers researching on the Net alike.

Cheers, Doc

[papr23]

Whoa! That 400 is one heck of a BRM. Fixing a flat at 4AM must have felt tougher to riding with a busted knee!

[ringoism]

Since Doc suggested a "catch all ACT" thread, will post this re: my 105Max, which now with an alloy handle and stem is at ~14.5kg... gonna find alloy cranks and seat-post for it and figure not over 14... that's with a rather thin but firmly sprung MTB fork and 26x2.125 Kendas.

Not to be down on the Hercules name, which indeed is iconic... but to me, iconic in a sort of old-fashioned "uncle-ish" way... (and I'm not alone - hence the emergence of the Montra brand from Ti Cycles' stable).

Putting a Montra logo on it would seem slightly wrong/dishonest on a 2005 cycle, so easily located Ti's logos online and figured I'd go with them - had my sticker-guy do them up in reflective blue, and quite like the overall effect:







Had found this page re: the design studio who had done the downtube logo:

https://trainofthought.net/portfolio/ti-cycles/

...and thought it interesting that they'd done work for Raleigh and other global bicycle companies.

Little voice was asking where in the world our illustrious Ti Cycles India had sold their stuff with direct branding...

Anyhow got 'em all stuck on last eve and only today realized the design studio had done it for a PORTLAND, OREGON cycle company of the same name!!!!

Anyway, I always used to hesitate when potential renters would ask what brand this cycle was (Firefox being a hard enough sell as it is these days)... Being these ACT were Chinese frames, I can now tell them it's "imported"...

Whatever, even visually I think these are an improvement, as is the polished aluminum, and also hold up well against the logos of my other cycles (though might of done it a bit larger):



Which in the second case here are also re-logo'd:



...Anyway I never was much of a "stickler" (sorry, near-pun there ) for originality!

-Eric

[ebonho]

No

Originally Posted by ringoism

Since Doc suggested a "catch all ACT" thread, will post this re: my 105Max:

...Anyway I never was much of a "stickler" (sorry ) for originality!

-Eric

Thanks for the shares Eric. I'm exactly the opposite.

After a brief period in college where I went wild with flame and international lube brand stickers on my first bike, my Kawasaki KB100 RTZ, I've never stickered any other vehicle of mine.

The bone stock look, ageing gracefully, fading patina, scratches, dinks and all, is what does it for me. A pictorial history of your time together.

Cheers, Doc

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by ebonho

No

Thanks for the shares Eric. I'm exactly the opposite.

After a brief period in college where I went wild with flame and international lube brand stickers on my first bike, my Kawasaki KB100 RTZ, I've never stickered any other vehicle of mine.

The bone stock look, ageing gracefully, fading patina, scratches, dinks and all, is what does it for me. A pictorial history of your time together.

Cheers, Doc

Yeah, I know Doc, saw your mention along those lines (re: orig pedals I guess), and I feel that way about many appearance-related things (i.e., our Machismo thread)...

But this cycle was new to me, so no personal history/ connection. And it apparently had been left outdoors a long time (it was months before I could figure out how to extract the rust-seized stem from the fork spindle). Worse, the original paint was really hideously blistering/peeling off, with white corrosion spreading underneath... it definitely had to go... would've ruined the frame eventually, and meanwhile I'd have never been able to rent anything that ugly to anyone. Actually would've been embarrassing to try to.

MTB's when actually used in their native terrain don't tend to age gracefully - really can get banged/scratched up, and all the worse when neglected.

Good originals and tasteful patina are good, beyond that I'm more a resto-mod guy...

Btw, re: your particular Tourney rear derailleur, I found the identical version in my stuff a few days back when selecting components for the Riverside build, and discovered it to be the lightest of all the Tourney styles I've got (about five different ones) - actually almost same as the the Acera - so if you prefer keeping things original and are happy with how it's working, you needn't feel compelled to "upgrade" to that Altus.

Btw, my first bike here in H.P., back in 2006, was a KB100 - still own it! Took a "form follows function" approach to that one, and indeed it took me happily from here across UK into Nepal, to Pangong, Nubra, Zanskar, Sach Pass, etc, etc... Same on the 125 later, adding Spiti etc to the repertoire.

They're picking up in value now and people are fairly obsessed with originality... I'm obsessed with making them the best and most practical they can be... my KB's have little that's original to offer but run/ride/handle/brake far better than factory units ever did. No stickers on 'em, btw.. :-)

-Eric

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ringoism

Yeah, I know Doc, saw your mention along those lines (re: orig pedals I guess), and I feel that way about many appearance-related things (i.e., our Machismo thread)...

But this cycle was new to me, so no personal history/ connection. And it apparently had been left outdoors a long time (it was months before I could figure out how to extract the rust-seized stem from the fork spindle). Worse, the original paint was really hideously blistering/peeling off, with white corrosion spreading underneath... it definitely had to go... would've ruined the frame eventually, and moreover I'd have never been able to rent anything that ugly to anyone. Actually would've been embarrassing to try to.

MTB's when actually used in their native terrain don't tend to age gracefully - really can get banged/scratched up, and all the worse when neglected.

Good originals and tasteful patina are good, beyond that I'm more a resto-mod guy...

Btw, re: your particular Tourney rear derailleur, I found the identical version in my stuff a few days back when selecting components for the Riverside build, and discovered it to be the lightest of all the Tourney styles I've got (about five different ones) - actually as light as the Acera - so if you prefer keeping things original and are happy with how it's working, you needn't feel compelled to "upgrade".

-Eric

It really is a high quality pretty looking cage.

And after the new cables, the shifts are so good, I do not think I will replace it at all.

The fact that still in the highest/er gears, when trying to move the chain and make it climb on ri the bigger (lower) cogs, I still get double clicks if I'm clumsy, I put down to the fact that the chain os totally lengthened out and the freewheel teeth are also worn, so expecting a tight chain and crisp wrap around shifts is not realistic. If it still happens after the new crank, chain and freewheel (mech says not to go the new hub and cassette route because the new stuff coming, the quality is nowhere close to the old stuff, and he really freaks out on the rolling of my hubs ... we will be talking, and my ACT on the workstand will have the wheels rotating lazily, on and on) then I might try the new derailleur and if still nothing I will go back to my original pretty Tourney and live with it. At 50 I don't shift perfectly myself and often need two shifts down and one shift up! Lol

Cheers, Doc

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by papr23

Whoa! That 400 is one heck of a BRM. Fixing a flat at 4AM must have felt tougher to riding with a busted knee!

Thanks buddy. Actually no. It was a much needed respite from the driving cold on the exposed highway and my stabbing knee pain with every pedal stroke (just before full extension), and since I had another rider with me, we had a small picnic as well while repairing the puncture!

Here are my ride homologated certificates for that season from Audax Parisienne, which finally came to me 2 years later (never paid extra for the medals - somehow, paying for a trophy or medal hard earned does not sit well with me, regardless of how big the organisation is ) ...







The 400, at the pace I completed the first half in (was at the turnaround 200 km point inside 2 pm - that's 8 hours total time with all breaks), I could have wrapped up inside 18 hours had it not been for my knee). A sub 20 hour 400 is considered very good by even seasoned riders.

The "To" leg. Phone died because as a first I had kept "location sharing" on for my wife and kids. Put it off after that, and plugged the phone into my powerbank, after juicing it up some at the turnaround restaurant CP. But lost 70 odd kms. That's why the "longest ride" on my Strava profile shows as 325 km (my 300 BRM before this one) and does not reflect my 400 ... que sera sera!



The "Return" painful leg with the busted knee and the broken spoke and the puncture. At night, it the bitter open highway end December winter cold.



Cheers, Doc

[ebonho]

Found some nice photos of the bike that (re) started me off on my cycling passion - my limited National Games edition Hercules Top Gear (twin bow steel frame, RevoShift and MegaRange Shimano 3x6 drivetrain, thin hubs, 26 inch 1.95 wheels, 19 kilos). This baby really rolls on the flats. And that's my soul dog Peppy, my big hearted alpha, who passed away last year.













































Cheers, Doc

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ringoism

Parts bin aside, I'm sure you could reduce your ACT's weight considerably if you felt it important.

-Eric

Yes this is exactly the scale I was thinking of too. The only one I currently have is a pretty iffy dial gauge one that is spring actuated and has a hook. Only ok for weighing gas cylinders and airline luggage.

Tyres and tubes are a definite one where weight can be saved .... but I already have a set of brand new GRL 35c's so I don't know whether I want to waste them, and seeing as my current identical set is running on at over 17000 km it's going to be a long wait.

I could probably do a swap. And look at lighter tubes as well. No plans of Decathlon getting back the tyres. Even good stuff like wheels, cassettes, derailleurs, chains, stems and handlebars have gone off the shelves.

Already have a alloy seat post and lightweight saddle so don't know how much more I could lose there ... maybe a carbon seat post and carbon saddle.

The handlebar and stem yes. I've also added barends extra. But those are non negotiable!

I'm guessing the new crank will be lighter than the current one. Probably last a lot less as well.

The new gifted Altus rear derailleur for my current already lighter than class (per you) Tourney one?

The freewheel remains the same. Only a new one and a new chain.

Pedals maybe if I put on the resin Concepts in place of tge current cheap heavy metal MTB platform ones. Or even replace them with my reconditioned VPs or tge original Feimin ones if Narendra can work his magic and salvage the right ones races.

Maybe all alloy V brake calipers for my current pair of pressed steel ones.

That leaves the biggest rolling component, the wheels. But those, whatever you do or replace with, is not going to be cheap.

It really is a bare-bone naked bike. Very little if anything can be removed. And all substitutions will be of functional working parts with a lots of life in them (except for the knackered crank). In the end it's always going to be rupees per gram.

I'll check out if the Altus crank is lighter than the Tourney one. There is a 400 buck difference there which might be worth it.

Please list down your ideas!

Cheers, Doc

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by narayanang76

Wheelsets - the most practical upgrade to any bike, in my view. A good quality hubs (novatec or ABC hubs kinds), and an Alloy wheelset with quality spokes and tires would do, no need to go for fancy carbon wheels and all. A simple hubs upgrade to current wheels itself would be good start in my view.

And the best thing is you can keep your wheelset even if we upgrade our bikes in future, unlike those other upgraded bike components.

Narayan bhai, Eric and I were talking about our budget beaters. All of which put together would cost less than a half decent entry level wheelset. My rims are 36 hole. Getting good hubs that would be an upgrade over my current ones in those many holes, as well as non disc, itself is a challenge. Any decent entry level Shimano hub will cost minimum 2k. And its not going to roll any/too much better. Mine roll great. In fact its one of the reasons my mech has asked me not to upgrade them to a free hub and cassette because the quality of the new hubs coming in the market currently (with Shimano's issues) is not too great.

The big advantage of weight will come from either lighter tyres or a lighter wheelset. And the tyres are definitely the more bang for buck option, because those will need to be replaced eventually anyways. And the price difference between a heavy India tyre and a good light fast rolling import (IF you can get hold of one in the right size ... a HUGE if) would be about 1500-2000 bucks.

Whereas the hubs wouild probably involve new spokes, and re-building the entire wheel, both of which, even if you keep the current rims (a major contributor to wheel weight), would cost another 2000 bucks ... PER WHEEL. Which means 4000 bucks per wheel, OR simply buy a set of new budget wheels like the Shimano RS100's for 1-12,000 bucks. Either way, that's a HUGE spend for what are essentially low cost go anywhere Indian hybrids.

Which is why I think that aside from the crank which is due for replacement, as well as the tyres, which too are due for a new set, I do not see any way to make a significant dent in the current weight of the ACT, without spending (probably unnecessary/unwarranted) big bucks for gains that would be max in hundreds of grams. Losing a max a kilo or two on the other hand would cost big bucks .... compared to the cost of the bike itself.

Cheers, Doc

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by ebonho

I already have a set of brand new GRL 35c's so I don't know whether I want to waste them...

The handlebar and stem yes. I've also added barends extra. But those are non negotiable!

Pedals maybe if I put on the resin Concepts in place of tge current cheap heavy metal MTB platform ones.

Maybe all alloy V brake calipers for my current pair of pressed steel ones.

In the end it's always going to be rupees per gram.

I'll check out if the Altus crank is lighter than the Tourney one. There is a 400 buck difference there which might be worth it.

Please list down your ideas!

It's really a shame about Decathlon... one thing they were good about was listing weights of all their components. Also a shame about China/India, because on eBay U.S. I can order cheap, light alloy handlebars and such all day long from there...

Finally depends on budget / real-world benefits for my riding style and conditions / overall value proposition; But in my view can't justifiably think along the lines of, "I only spent ₹5,000 buying the whole cycle (a decade or more ago) - how can I spend twice that now on upgrades?"

As most of us realize, times have changed dramatically. My Thunder MTB and ACT105 Max were both in the 5-6k range new, but that was around 2005/6. Better question is, "What would it cost me to buy a good-quality new 13-kg hybrid?" If it's within 20-30% of the cost of upgrading, that may be a reasonable option, but if I basically like what I've got and have a history with it (as you do with Blue) and I'm just keen on bringing it up to my current requirements, then I can't see why not.

So:

1. Yes, resin pedals can be REALLY light and are plenty strong from what I've seen. My heaviest alloy platform pedals are like 400g each - crazy - and even the cheap resin ones can be easily half that. Net loss maybe as much as 400g

2. Yes, if I were you I'd swap your GRL's for something lighter, as they become available. As I said in my case, that's 300g/tyre and probably at least 100g/tube savings. Net loss 800g

3. Yes, I saved a LOT moving from spindly old-style steel neck and handle to aluminum on the 105Max. And that was a WIDE, THICK flat-bar I changed to. Leave your bar-end extensions in place and I'd still guess a half kilo or better there - net loss 500g

4. The brakes aren't likely to be a lot of bang-for-buck, maybe 30-40g each, but anyway, if you're not loving the steel ones, it's a worthy upgrade that might shave ~60-70g.

5. Rs400 premium on the crank is hardly anything in my view, especially if it might shift slightly better and turns out to be lighter by maybe ₹50-100g... If your original was steel (like my 105 and Riverside both) then it's likely to save you a bunch of weight - a few hundred grams at least.

Possibly could be other small things but I think those would be the most obvious items.

I did see a cassette-type Shimano hub here on the shelf for ₹1500 (new older stock), which I felt was pretty reasonable, if you can source similar and the gearing upgrade itself was desirable enough to you. Not sure how much weight it actually saves, but the Megarange freewheel was 100g more than some of my other freewheels, iirc.

Anyway, I think you get the idea. You should be able to easily save 1.5-2kg's here without spending "big bucks", by just replacing stuff that you either need to (due to wear) or probably should anyway (on account of excessive weight or compromised design/ performance).

I remember a foreign friend here who had a very light road-bike and used to ride up to Rohtang Pass on a whim (and was #2 per the Strava record), telling me that time savings were pretty much a direct, easily calculated function of increases/ decreases in weight. Lose 200g, get there 5 minutes sooner... that kind of thing. Surprising (but not really, when you think about it).

Probably depends how much climbing you realistically plan to do over the course of whichever ride/ event / competition.

If it were me in similar shoes as yours, I might be inclined to think: "I've already ridden this thing more than most owners will in their lifetimes, it's paid for itself a few times over in pleasure and good service, I can spend several extra thousands above what I'd have to anyway and make it that much better / suitable for my present purposes in the process, or I can park it / part with it and start riding something lighter/better geared that will cost me 3-4x what this upgrade will."

Then it comes down to things like outright budgetary constraints and sentimental considerations.

That's just me, though!

-Eric.

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Found some nice photos of the bike that (re) started me off on my cycling passion - my limited National Games edition Hercules Top Gear (twin bow steel frame, RevoShift and MegaRange Shimano 3x6 drivetrain, thin hubs, 26 inch 1.95 wheels, 19 kilos).

So unique! The frame is really odd (in an appealing way), and I've never seen that style of RevoShifts. I'd guess that relatively few of these have been preserved - and that as in the U.S., the vintage/collector cycle scene is likely to start heating up in India.

When it does, I'd expect this to be among the more desirable.

-Eric

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ringoism

So unique! The frame is really odd (in an appealing way), and I've never seen that style of RevoShifts. I'd guess that relatively few of these have been preserved - and that as in the U.S., the vintage/collector cycle scene is likely to start heating up in India.

When it does, I'd expect this to be among the more desirable.

-Eric

Yes, it looks a lot like those 70s American Shwinn's (like in The 70's Show) with those huge up flared wide handlebars.

Cheers, Doc

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ringoism

When it does, I'd expect this to be among the more desirable.

-Eric

Do you see the uncanny similarity? And the possibilities. I do!





Been thinking of picking up a simple road bike geometry donor bike cheap (used of course) to mount my old 9 speed Tiagra (external cables) drive train on ... includes dual pivot brake calipers as well. Crank, derailleurs, cassette, shifters, and BB. The Triban RC 100 was on my mind as it's cheap, pretty light (11 odd kilos), and has a very rudimentary 1x7 drivetrain that can be replaced. Wheels, stem, drop bar and a rolling chassis. The only issue with that plan is that no one is selling one.

My ACT is heavier at 13.5 kilos. But can take wider tyres. And I've ridden her for 17,000 km. But I will need a stem, handlebar, and wheels, or a free hub for the rear wheel at least. And a 122-124 mm bottom bracket as well. I was initially skeptical if the geometry could lend itself to a drop bar setup , but increasingly I think it will in fact give me some more room compared to the flat bar currently.

The idea remains to have my second bike continue doing what it does (rough, all road, all weather, low cost, low maintenance training use, when the CAAD cannot be taken out) but better, faster, more versatile, and closer to a rough road bike (gravel bike philosophy) than the current flatbar hybrid setup.

The photo of the Marin Four Corners, especially in the same color, kind of stamped home the idea that it wasn't so far fetched. Yes, the weight will continue to be a factor though.

Cheers, Doc

[ebonho]

Picked up a valve rim cut puncture on the brand new Ralson tube that I replaced the previous day because it had started losing air again (after my second, patch on patch, repair) and I disgustedly thought it was the patch that failed again. Not so. The tyre had a small piece of metal embedded in it that had gone through. So my repair had held. But I now had a new puncture. So I got the tube replaced just in case, planning to patch the new puncture on the old tube at home and keep it as a spare.

As miserable luck would have it the rim tape had gone hard and the valve whole had gone stretched and oval, and the rim tape was also a bit loose now and was shifting around. So the tube got cut on the sharp exposed edge of the rim valve hole and I tried to patch it, but as is common with punctures close to the valve it did not hold, and I had to pump up the tyre thrice while getting home as fast as I could. Luckily I did not have to get an auto this time around.



P.S. Took the opportunity of measuring the ID of my rims with a digital Vernier caliper, and turns out that the ACT 110 came shod stock with 17 mm clinchers! Which means not only can I easily go down to 28c's, but as low as 25c or even 23c should I want to (I've raced Blue briefly in a TT and a crit with 23c's some time back, only that time I did not know if the tyres would simply pop out!).



So not wanting to have the bike sit at home, and miss training, I took my own advice to guys who have asked me "when do you know its time to change a tyre" ... my reply being that in the end, besides all the other tell-tale signs of wear, the litmus test was if you get 2 or more punctures in quick succession (the "quick" is something that you need to judge based on past experience, but if you get two punctures in a week, that's stretching coincidence and plain bad luck and you need to look then at your tyres).

So after 17,300 km of toil and near puncture free service, it was time to retire my old set of GRL's and put on the identical new set in their place.







The old and the new.



Got the rear brake shoes replaced as well. They were almost at the wear line and could have gone more, but I was feeling rich. Or maybe Eric's pep talk made a mark. Those are the old shoes in the photo.



Another HUGE addition was that of a quick link to my 7 speed old chain. I can now take it off and wax it to my heart's content on my own instead of having to resort to a chain breaker tool. Once more, the advantage of being a pack rat and never (rarely) throwing anything away. The old 8 speed SRAM chain on my CAAD that I had replaced 9,000 km ago, turned out that it had a quick link. And happily for me, that quick link could work on my 7 speed chain as confirmed by Narendra. So 500 bucks saved in having to buy a new custom 7 speed KMC quick link, by recycling one from an old chain.



Blue all ready to rock and roll, returning home in her chariot. And as you can see, the old pair of tyres was brought home as well.



The new tyres roll beautifully. And are FAST. Now that I compare, what I've been riding on these past 2 months felt like velcro on the road compared to these. A happy pair of puppies me and Blue is.

Cheers, Doc