Category: B(H)iking Page 35 of 36
The wire of the left hand shift levers broke yesterday to switch the front derailleur on the crankset. From then onward I was only able to shift chain on the rear derailleur. Luckily the chain was fixed on the lower chainring with 34 teeth. In other words, I could go slow and uphill on low gear but not high speed on higher gears.
My research on Shimano Ultegra R8020 group set – this is the model we have installed on the bike – concluded, it is somewhat practise to replace the wire after around 10’000km as a matter of potentially being a design glitch and not common. After checking my statistics, I have done around 17’000km in four years since I have the bike.
A bit annoying I went to the nearest bike shop today and got the wire replaced for less than 12 Euro! Excellent customer service at ADNbikes in Noia.
It then turned into a sugar ride on the way back absorbing more of this beautiful part of Galicia’s landscape.
Unfortunately the reasons and arguments to buy a new bike with wireless gear shift disappeared again.
It all started very well this morning, some gravel coming up after a while is normal on my trips as I prefer to go away from the main traffic roads really into the countryside. The gravel was getting rougher and rougher but also here, pushing or carrying the bike a few meters is something I don‘t mind as long as it stays within limits. A tyre breakthrough is new to me. I am prepared and equipped for punctures to be fixed on the spot but a Kevlar structure to tear apart gives me some food for thought. I was not geared up for that and in the middle of nowhere.
No option than to push/carry the bike about 1.5km back to civilization. I was about half distance between Portosin and Santiago de Compostela but going back was not an option, so I figured out how to keep moving towards my weekend destination.
Waiting at a busstop for two hours in this heat was not very attractive although two passing mates on bikes offered me water and power-bars, very nice! I managed to stop a courier truck driver to give me and my bike a lift and spontaneously he said: sure, no problem…whatever that means in spanish terms. We delivered two more parcels together and then he dropped my at the hotel in Santiago de Compostela.
In the meantime I have walked through the town, purchased two new tyres and the bike is ready to rock n’ roll again.😄
