recumbents at the Great Escapade

[just4tehhalibut]

Okay, Bicycle Victoria are running the Great Escapade tour from Margaret River, WA from 28 March to 5 April. Sadly this is on at the same time as the HPV Challenge but there must be a few recumbents doing the tour instead.

I'll be taking my Giro and a party attitude. Anyone else going? And anything planned.....?

[Kalgrm]

No, it's a bit rich for me at the price they're asking and during my local financial sorta-crisis. (Not really a crisis - just watching what I spend.)

I believe a couple of the guys on trikes from WAHPV are doing it though (perhaps one of the Patricks and one of the Peters?). Phil and Steph are also doing it, but they don't have 'bents to play on.

Cheers,
Graeme

[just4tehhalibut]

So all up 3 of us out the 1647 riders so far booked, and all from WA, none from elsewhere!

[Kalgrm]

I'd say not everybody who has booked reads this forum ... unfortunately for them.

Cheers,
Graeme

[John Lewis]

Gumbyphil will be there on his orange Greenspeed trike. Saw that in BV forum.

Phil was at the last WA ride and we saw him in Tas as he steamed past us on our Logo's and disappeared into the distance.

Regrettably we won't be able to go to this ride unless circumstances change in the next few days.

John Lewis

[shovelheadedwombat]

Hi John,

I met you on the Great Escapade and am now asking for some technical advice. I was on the yellow swb Challenge Mistral two wheeler. Please excuse me if I have already badgered you on this one. Its a problem with the front derailleur, when changing from granny gear up to middle chainring, the chain jams between the chainrings and the derailleur, leading to abrupt halts. Their is a piece of poly pipe around the chain and this enables me to change down into granny and currently it is a bit ratty around the end and I can trim this up. A bloke at the bike shop suggested adjusting the derailleur down a bit.

Do you have any other design suggestions which might prevent these jam ups which may help.

p.s. Thanks for your help in packing up on that last day in Margaret R. I made the bus with four minutes to spare and then waited half an hour while some Bike Victoria person argued with riders who wanted to get on because their paperwork system wasn't up to date. Made plane much to my surprise though!

Strong tailwinds,
Doug Williamson

[John Lewis]

Doug,
Don't know if this is aimed at me but we didn't make it to the ride. I'm not familiar with the Mistral

Re your derailer problem: How far is the derailer above the big ring? The outer side plate should only be 2 to 3 mm above but I've had them higher with no problem.

How many teeth on the granny ring and the next ring up? If the jump is too great it could be part of the problem.

How close is the chain tube to the derailer. I have had odd shifting problems if it is too close. I think the stiffness of the tube has an effect.

Have a look at the adjusting screws. you might want tighten the L screw a bit but not so far that the plate rubs the chain.

Also check that the derailer plates are aligned properly with the chain and not twisted.

John Lewis

[just4tehhalibut]

That would be me with the packing, and on that thanks for the quick loan of the pedal spanner, turns out that although the BV crew said there'd be pedal spanners for those loading bikes into the trucks no one at BV told the truckies this.
From what I recall regarding your front derailleur you have the black polytube for the driveside chain actually long enough that it sits inside the front derailleur cage. You said that this was manufacturer's instructions, I think. Since there would be wear at this point the polytube is never always going to be in the optimum positioning or even shape to carry the chain through this squeezepoint. Remember that you are putting something that wants to be round and wider (the tube) into a narrow rectangular slot (the FD cage). If you had fixed mounting points further back on the frame I'd be trimming back the tube, away from the FD, and putting cable tie bands or even metal hose clamps behind these mounts so that the tube can't slide through to jam into your FD.
Otherwise, if you prefer to keep using the poytube inside the FD cage then I'd follow John Lewis' advice about checking and adjusting the FD but only AFTER you take temporarily removed the polytube from the FD cage. Get the FD adjusting right then sort out the tube.
Does this sound like it might work?

P.S it was a good event although I had lots of camping equipment woes then came home with a cold (lasted 2 weeks after) to a home with a broken loo and computer. I'd only had the Giro 20 for 8 weeks when I did the Great Escapade, have come back far more familiar and relaxed with riding it and now trimming it up to be my 25km city commuter. Working well so far, getting home as quick as my roadracer does on a good day.
I have in mind to do another of these BV events some time, just not in NZ or places too cold.