Thanks for giving us a sense of what's left, and some news on the replacement. Glad to hear you got what you needed.

I love my 650B Merc Mk 3. On 48mm Rene Herse tyres it's swift, extraordiarily comfy, and secure.

But I ride mainly gravel and paved cycle paths, a bit rough and with low average speeds.

To resolve minor fitting problems with leaded cable ends, I carry a small automotive ignition points file (Niehoff brand for the win!) as part of my kit, though even an emery board will get you most of where you need to be if there is a mismatch. Often, the molds for leaded ends can wear so a small amount of lead leaks out of the mold to produce sprue which inhibits a proper fit. Whisking that off can make for a better fit as can reducing the diameter.

Best, Dan.

On to the second week. I made it to the southern tip of mainland Japan, then headed up the west coast.

 One of the highlights was pulling out from the 7-11 one morning into the middle of a 300 strong organized ride. It was a steady stream of  “Hello, Ron!”,  “Ganbatte!” (go for it)  and about twenty requests for selfies.
 On another day, near the end of my ride, I got within 200m of the onsen, but neither Google nor Komoot could quite figure out just exactly where it was. There just happened to be a high school student, in his uniform, walking by. I asked him for directions, and he proceeded to run through the maze of tiny streets, leading me there!

1  No, I didn’t make a side trip to Easter Island. Sun Messe Nichinan is the only authorized reproduction of the Moai statues. Japanese archaeologists had helped with restoration work of the originals.

2  Sata Misaki, the southernmost point of mainland Japan. At 31 degrees latitude, the sign shows that it’s even with Cairo and New Orleans. The happy mascot is welcoming everyone to Minamiosumi Town. The date ( April 24, 2024) is shown as 6-4-24.  The Japanese often use the period based on the reign of the emperor to indicate the year. The current emperor, Naruhito, ascended the throne May 1, 2019, marking the beginning of the Reiwa era (Reiwa 1) . That makes 2024 Reiwa 6.

3  Sakurajima, one of the most active volcanoes in Japan. Riding around the base, I passed many “fallout shelters” where one can hide from flying ash and rock during an eruption.

4  Carp streamers, or Koinobori, are flown in April and early May to wish for the health and prosperity of children. When the wind is blowing they look like they’re swimming. I was happy to see them tails down, though, as it made for easier riding.

You'd think that such a question would have a simple definitive answer, but SJS sell both the Rohloff branded cable and also a Transfil one which they market as Rohloff suitable, while the Thorn "Living with a Rohloff" document says that a standard gear cable fits.  I chose to use either of the recommended ones, for me there's no advantage in doing otherwise.  Cables are the sort of thing I like to have available, so it's not like I have to rely on the local bike shop to stock the right ones.