Day -79: gears

More problem solving

"Day -80" would have been more monumental. But "Day -79" will do.

More testing. More parts, clothes. More problem solving.

But the tandem-with-piccolo works!

I geared down Clerie's bike.

Clerie testing out her lower gearing with the dog.

I geared the tandem WAY down.

The two silver chainrings are the old high and old low gears. The "new" setup is below. Shifting's not so hot; I may just need to get a new chainwheel that's compatible with my existing bottom bracket.

I took A to the bike project to work on her bike. We replaced her rear derailleur and her brake cables & housing.

Smoothing the end of some brake cable housing to make sure the braking is "crisP." (A is amused by my annunciation.)

And today we rode our setup to church. (February isn't National Bike Month—that's May. But February is National I-don't-care-that-it's-still-freezing-half-the-time-I'm-biking-anyway Month.)

Our four bicycles, seating seven. It was nice to reduce the number to four; less pilots to supervise.

Our setup will look a bit like that this summer. Only fewer coats and more baggage.

Next week I'll probably order some tandem-rated disc brakes for the Yuba, and an Arai drag brake setup for the tandem, because both sets of brakes will have to be able to handle heat dissipation from slowing down 400+lb rigs while descending in the Rockies.

Gotten some great tips from readers and friends on saddles. Thank you! My new problem is this: improving L's reach. She's the stoker on the tandem, and the reach is a little much for her. I can't slide her seat any further forward. My plan is to engineer the pedals a bit. I think I'll ziptie lightweight wooden blocks to each side of both her pedals to give her a few inches...and glue something grippy to the blocks. Or I could save weight and get her some crazy 3" platform shoes. Either way it's not ideal, but it's better than worrying about her (knowing her) on her own bicycle, having her on the back of a Yuba (unable to help), or on a trail-a-bike (as she's a bit big).

Less than 80 days left till we head out. And there's much more work to do, more problems to troubleshoot. And life goes on!

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