My Raven Tour. 3500 miles on (11,000 miles on)

[jags]

Class photo fred .

[Planet X]

Good idea about the toe straps.
Going to buy a few now.
Thanks.
 

[Planet X]

Then again.............the price of them!!!!!!
Going to go for Velcro as below, seems better valve......
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cable-Tex-Black-Velcro-Strap-Lengths/dp/B004AF25RM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1372424454&sr=8-5&keywords=velcro+straps

[John Saxby]

Thanks, Fred.  Very helpful foto--good details of a fine-looking bike which has served you well.  Finalizing my specs for a new Raven purchase this fall, so your shifter mount for drop bars is of particular interest.  Ditto your use of toe-straps for bottles and brake-lever locks.  I use Q-R rubber ties of different lengths for similar purposes -- will check my supply of discarded toe-straps in the workshop, however.  (Here's the link to the QR ties:  http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?p=65393&cat=2,43319,33283  Dirt cheap, multiple uses.)

Safe riding for many more years!  -  J.

[Danneaux]

Fred!

I do so very much enjoy seeing photos of your RT; it is just beautifully turned out and trimmed oh-so-neatly for touring. "Every hair in place", so to speak, and right off the cover of a touring/travel magazine -- well done!

toe straps are invaluable.

I surely agree! Their uses only seem to grow. I use mine as a "bottle truss" under the downtube as well. Very handy for preventing loss and wear.

Seeing your bike makes me wish I had acquired my Ortlieb Packers when they still had the straps over the caps, as your rear ones do. Seems like such a useful design, it is hard to imagine why they removed them. I surely like the colors you chose as well. I kept returning to photos of your shifter mount as I looked for a solution myself.

Very nice, indeed. Thanks for favoring us with another terrific photo of a wonderful bike.

Best,

Dan.

[freddered]

Thanks all (Hi praise coming from you Danneaux...I've seen your rig).

1 - Toe Straps.  Yes they seem expensive but they are better than the alternatives (actually is £9 a pair expensive for something that will last a lifetime?)

2 - Here's a photo showing a better view of my shifter (as people seem to find it useful).  I occasionally bang my knee on it, but usually only the first 5 minutes after I ride it, climbing out of the saddle, then I must adapt subconsciously.  I never honk out of the saddle when I'm fully loaded so it's never been an issue.

This setup has been perfect for 7 years, I personally see no need to look at an alternative.



Here's my touring "cockpit" showing Garmin Etrex (and toestraps in side of Bar Bag).  Looking at this makes me a bit homesick for the touring life (if you can be homesick for being away from home).  Wunderlust maybe.


3 - Finally, I just bought a Tubus rack to replace my Blackburn.  Nothing wrong with the Blackburn, just that Evans Cycles were selling the Tubus for £25!  What was I supposed to do?  Anyway I was so impressed with the front Tubus low-riders that I wanted the same high quality at the rear.  Those Tubus racks are rock solid, very, very impressed with them.

Also new Chain, Chain ring and sprocket (and oil..but you can't see that).  It was in need of some new drive components.

[jags]

Fred how exactly do you plan a route on the legend.

bike still looking class.

[Danneaux]

bike still looking class.

...And a half!

Every detail: Love how the Garmin sits alongside the stem on the other side of the T-bar, and the T-bar is flipped to echo the upward angle of the stem. Even the FSA logo on the steerer cap is aligned fore and aft; don't always see that. Still madly enthused about the color.

Best,

Dan.

[freddered]

Fred how exactly do you plan a route on the legend.

For UK routes I use FUGAWI digital OS Maps on my PC.
I plot a route and then upload it to the Garmin using Mapsource (supplied).

For France I use Open Source Maps http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ and do basically the same.

Out on the road the GPS is just invaluable.  OSM maps tend to include a good amount of local detail (train stations, camp sites, cafes..etc) that really help.  I just locate what I want and press the "Navigate" button.  It's not as clear as a car's satnav but it keeps you heading in the right direction when you get really off track and disorientated.  If I don't know an area then it travels with me.

It also has an "Estimated Time of Arrival" display.  It's not sophisticated, using just your current speed, but it's a really reassuring feeling knowing you'll arrive at camp somewhere around 5pm, and not 10pm. Use 2x AA batteries (which last 2 full days) and I highly recommend it.

[freddered]

...And a half!

Every detail: Love how the Garmin sits alongside the stem on the other side of the T-bar, and the T-bar is flipped to echo the upward angle of the stem. Even the FSA logo on the steerer cap is aligned fore and aft; don't always see that. Still madly enthused about the color.

Best,

Dan.

Thanks.

You give me too much credit.  The steerer cap is aligned by pure chance and the steerer bolt makes up for that by being rusty.

The T-bar (SJS Accessory bar) is superb and means the shifter falls perfectly to hand without any reaching.


This all acts as a reminder to go and finish my long-sue maintenance.  I fitted a new Sprocket, chain, Chainwheel before my holidays.

I took the opportunity to take a look at the internal cable-pulley and wire.  Somehow I managed to turn it into a 13 speed hub.
I haven't had chance to find my error yet but I expect it was in 9th or 7th (not 8th) when I refitted the pulley.
Does that sound about right?

[freddered]

An upcoming 200k Audax in Devon (including lots of gratuitous climbing around Lynmouth) tempted me to get the Raven Tour out of semi-retirement.

For the last few years it's been getting used once a year, for French camping trips.  Now I'm in desperate need of it's MTB-like gearing.

New chain, chainring, sprocket, inner gear cable (thank goodness for Youtube to explain how to do that) and finally a much needed oil-change.  I took all the racks off to make it lighter (well..less heavy anyway) and took it into some local hills to test out the "granny gears".  It worked perfectly as usual, the 1.5" tyres soaking up the worst of the potholes, the AVID "Ultimate" brakes making light work of the steep descents.

Yes it's a heavy old thing but I just need something bomb-proof with good brakes and a "winch" gear for next weekend.  Even then I expect I'll be pushing it up and out of some Devon fishing villages.

Photos - Near Combe Gibbet - Mar 30 2014. ("Newbury Downs" - just over the border into Berkshire, in the corner where Wiltshire meets Hampshire meets Berkshire).

[Danneaux]

Hi Fred!

The bike looks as good and determined as ever...and so does the rider.

Best of luck on your upcoming Audax. You'll do well, I'm sure!

Absolutely terrific photos, nicely shared; thanks!

Best,

Dan.

[sg37409]

How did the audax go ?   I was also planning a 200k+ ride and thought I'd use my RST. Based on the "white knuckle" audax I did years back, I decided I'd use the C7 cycle path, which is nothing but muddy forrest track for a while, and thought the rohloff would be good for that.  It was a great ride, and the highlight was coming back over the last hill in the dark and seeing the city lights all laid out below.  Took this pic on the C7 path near to the (misty) top of glen ogle, in the only weather I've got up there.  The climb from Kenmore over Glen Quaich forced me into gear 1 for the 1st time on this bike and was in it for ages. Absolute Killer Climb !!

[Danneaux]

Terrific shot going into the mist, Steve.

Best,

Dan.

[Donerol]

I'm trying to work out how Freddered has managed to fit his v-brakes so that the noodles are on the opposite side of 'normal', allowing a straighter cable run than is usual with a UK set up (front lever on the right)?



Am I just being stupid and missing the obvious? (Feel free to tell me  )