Micycle

Mike thinks b/hikes

North of storm Goretti

Posted on 9th Jan 2026 by essiep

5°C, light N wind & light grey sky. Soft rain to start.

Mustang: cleaned & oiled before the off. Something wasn’t right but it was ages before I spotted it. The front wheel wasn’t bedded in properly. Twice I stopped to adjust the azimuth for the bars. I experimented with changes in height (two rings was too many).

I suspect the misaligned front wheel actually caused the brake disc to rub. I know it sounds like an excuse! The other concern is comfort. I feel a load on my arms putting pressure on both elbows. That’s why I tried raising the bars. I expect that they’ll need to go back down in warmer weather and I’m wearing less.

There is an ongoing repair issue. The cassette is partly worn, just the middle two cogs. They’re only skipping slightly so I can still ride until the new one arrives.

I return.

Posted on 25th Apr 2023 by essiep

10°C, bright sun but chilly.

A slow ride as I’m still recovering from a heavy cold. It affected two DofE trips, the White Peak on quite badly. On the first night, I woke with the shivers. That changing robe has been very useful.

I went out on the Zing after tweeking the gear indexing. I’ve got a work-stand to raise the bike. It’s much easier to get to the gears now. It is a £30 Aldi stand. It’s okay by not all the clamps are free from sliding when loaded. There are still a few cogs that are slow to shift even though the cable is new. Maybe change the sheaths next. If it still stick, then I give up, nothing can be done.