Hey All!

I came across this service today...

https://eclean.green/collections/top-products/products/down-sleeping-bag-cleaning?variant=46105236242629

That sounds interesting, I've heard of dry cleaners offering chemical free cleaning suitable for down, I suspect it's the same thing, though have no experience.  Thankfully my experience with traditional down cleaners has been the opposite to yours, my down quilt comes back looking and lofting like new.  I note the link above says it saves 80 gallons of water, I doubt the home washers use half of that.  In the end it's what someone is happy with, in terms of both results and risks.

You might eek out another few thousand km's by taking a link out, but the failure method becomes more and more likely to be a snapped chain.  I'd consider I'd had good value from it. flip both chainring and sprocket and fit the new chain.    I don't always get the same distance out of the second side of a chainring and sprockets, maybe 70%, but yours don't look as worn mine usually do at that mileage.  Even at 70% that's nearly 40k km from a chainring, sprocket and two chains, that'll turn most people running a derailleur green with envy.

I take it from what you say that the slack in the chain has already reached the point where adjustment is necessary but there’s no adjustment remaining on the eccentric.

Yes, and it's come off a couple of times now. The chain has never been replaced. I did buy a replacement at some point but haven't swapped it yet, but from what I understand now would be the time to do so.

I take it from what you say that the slack in the chain has already reached the point where adjustment is necessary but there’s no adjustment remaining on the eccentric.

Rohloff recommend a new chain is fitted after reversing a sprocket.

I don’t know how successful taking a link out of the chain would be because I’ve never done it. If it was me I’d simply flip the sprocket, and the chainring, then fit a new chain.

Thanks. 

I planned to stay at Inverness hostel for a day or two.  Sounds like reservations are in order.  But I am hesitant to make reservations this early when I do not have firm dates and won't have firm dates for a couple months.  On my calendar are two different days to leave Inverness.

I have reservations for my last couple nights in Edinburgh before my flight, but those are the only dates I have with certainty.  Bike touring where your schedule is at the whim of the weather really complicates things.

Perhaps I should make a reservation now to stay at Perth the night before I plan to get to Edinburgh. 

In the past, I found that starting a trip in early June was a good way to find lots of available spaces, as things did not get busy until early to mid July.  My last tour before Covid was in 2019, several times I was the only person in a tenting area where there were a half dozen or more empty campsites.

A decade ago, I usually made hostel reservations no more than a couple days in advance for stays in the middle of my tour.  I only made longer term reservations in larger cities that were at the start or end of a trip. 

I am starting to realize that is not a reliable strategy any more.  I may be doing more wild camping than I planned.