Rambouillet actually has genuine cycling significance. Every 4 years Paris-Brest-Paris starts there at the chatea. It is the crowning event for Randonneuring. Randonneurs have to do a series of increasingly longer distance rides under a certain time cutoff in order to qualify. However, it is not a race. More of a very large group ride. It’s not my cup of tea, but I have several friends involved in it who are quite passionate about it. There seems to be an appealing sense of community about it.

Happy birthday! Glad you have a functioning bike.

Hold your horses ;)

Yes, and it feels very smooth! Noe the mechanic told me in an email that he had totally serviced the replacement (but used) hub and he expects it will outlast the rim.

Noe also sent birthday wishes. So nice!

Canada geese. There are smaller relatives, the cackling geese, but they aren’t found in Europe. You could watch for them when you get home though.

It’s YOUR day, so eat what YOU want! Happy Birthday, Steve! :)

Happy birthday to you! Your bike is working fine now?

Bonne Maman jam.( I can tell by the checkered lid) To paraphrase Grampies “eh”..I agree with you, Steve. The lovely setting does not “make this breakfast whole”..

Seven jammers equals eight toasters.;)

They smell so fragrant in their brassica sort of way!

Canola
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapeseed

Wow! How wonderful!

Nope! Just an iPhone and curiosity:)

The remarkable thing is that the guts of the Nexus come out without disturbing the spokes. So you see Noe holding the donor wheel with a big hole in the middle, but the spokes and rim still there. Even tougher than building a wheel could be monkeying with those ball bearings, pawls, and planetary gears inside!

After 90 days enforced rest, we'll be back in France!