The key to a “relaxing” journey..is of course the bikes!!
Last year…..we had plenty of relatively minor issues…but I had one major issue with the Merida/Shimano bike…and fast-decreasing battery capacity!! This issue became worse after the Istanbul ride….so I had extensive discussions with my favourite bike shop…which they passed on to Merida/Shimano. After inspecting the motor etc…they agreed that the motor – and one of the two batteries – was faulty. So they replaced both items under warranty.
But with all the stressful uncertainty, I decided to buy a new bike as well. A lovely Lapierre which comes with my favourite Bosch motor!
First ride however…and the bike lost all power!! Lapierre Overvolt it is called. Lapierre Undervolt would have flattered the bike. Lapierre No-Volt-At-All would have been correct!!
And it turned that that a key electric cable was half severed during assembly!!
That was replaced…so I tested the bike today…the very day before the start of our 6,000km journey….and alas a second major issue arose as the front cog threw the chain off, which then got completely jammed!!
I was fast becoming friends with the bike mechanic!! So a new chain…and new front cog later all was well.
For about 5km.
Back to the bike shop! THREE chains later and lots of testing….and the mechanic was finally confident…! A very weird and disconcerting set of issues! (And I discovered that there is no French equivalent word for a “lemon”…)
Not the most relaxing of days….especially as I had purchased this bike to avoid having to worry about the Merida!
Ho hum.
Anyway…it has transpired out that Iain is going to join us for the first leg (some or all of it?). So we will be able to properly test all three bikes..and select the best two for the onwards journey. That ability certainly reduces the stress somewhat!
Fingers crossed!!
Funnily enough……the 7-year old Scott…which has completed all three of the last long rides…seems to be riding like a dream! Something to be said for age!!
Our ‘sitting room’ looked more like a bike shop!
…..but Collioure as lovely as ever!
