Thorn Sherpa with Rohloff

[rualexander]

Recently returned from another three week's touring in France.
This year we flew to Lyon and cycled south via the Vercors and the Diois, then decided to head for Mont Ventoux, and from there across to the Ardeche Gorge, and finally three days up the Rhone Valley on the Via Rhona cycle route and back to Lyon airport.
Another great trip.
The Sherpa developed a pretty unpleasant grinding creaking noise from the drivetrain under heavy load in low gears, hopefully its just needing a new chain and sprocket rather than a Rohloff issue.
Photo slideshow here https://www.flickr.com/photos/rualexander/sets/72157659525562720/show?rb=1

[Andre Jute]

That's a wonderful holiday and a superb set of photographs. Thanks for sharing!

[John Saxby]

Wow! Splendid photos, Rual--some fabulous landscapes and buildings. Especially liked the roads and lanes free of traffic -- did you wait 'til there were no cars, or were there no cars?

[Danneaux]

Absolutely fantastic photos of your tour, Rual, to the same exceptional high standard as your past work. I've run the slideshow through three times now with real enjoyment.

By any chance, do you have a GPS track of your trip available, or a route you might be willing to share? It would be terrific for setting some of the photos in context.

Please let us know how you fare on resolving the noise/grinding issue with your Sherp'off''s drivetrain.

All the best,

Dan.

[geocycle]

Great trip rual, thanks for sharing. Like Dan it would be nice to see a map of your route. I love southern France having lived there at one point.hope you resolve the grinding noise and it is just a chain, sprocket issue. Have you had the wheel out? If so a tight QR can produce those noises.

[in4]

What an inspirational slideshow of some great cycling. I'm resisting the forensic urge here but..those bakeries (boulangerie) are so 'stop me and try some'. Going up some of those hills would have the heart rate monitor going into overdrive, surely justifying another cake at the top! Thanks for sharing.

[alfie1952]

STUNNING PHOTOGRAPHS, thanks for sharing.

Regards Alfie.

[rualexander]

Thanks folks, I didn't record a gps track during the trip, but have plotted a rough one on the pc today and saved it as a gpx file which is attached here.
The mileage from the gpx track is lower than the actual trip mileage which was almost exactly 500 miles.

[Danneaux]

Many thanks for your kind efforts on the route-plot, Rual.

Very much appreciated.

All the best,

Dan.

[rualexander]

Please let us know how you fare on resolving the noise/grinding issue with your Sherp'off''s drivetrain.

I fitted a new sprocket, chainring, and chain last week, and everything is running smooth and quiet again so all good.
Went for a 37x17 combination this time instead of the old 38x16, used an online 'magic gear' calculator to check that the combo would still work ok without using a chain tensioner, its slightly slacker when new than the previous combo so will maybe get a chainwear gauge to keep an eye on it and replace the chain before too much wear occurs to help the sprocket and chainring last.
New chainring is a TA Specialites 37t aluminium one, wasn't much choice in 37 teeth.
So I have a slightly lower gearing range which is fine by me, actually used top gear a few times this week!

[Danneaux]

Thanks for the update Rual!

Looking forward to hearing how the "odd-odd" chainring-cog combination works out for you. Idworx, for example, champions the odd-odd mix as promoting extended drivetrain life through better distribution of wear. They offer 104BCD stainless tool-steel chainrings in 35, 39, and 43 teeth but none in 37.

A few suggestions on chainrings for you and others seeking 37T in a variety of BCDs:

• Blackspire makes a Mono Veloce 104BCD in 37. e.thirteen (E13) also offer and 37 in 104BCD, which won't help you, but might be useful to others who are running 4-arm Shimano Deore cranks on OBBs.

• Warhawk ( http://www.warhawkindustries.com/chainrings/5-bolt-110mm-bcd-chainring.html ) make 104BCD and 110BCD chainrings in 37t in 7075 T-6 aluminum, 316 stainless, and 6Al-4v titanium in standard-tooth configurations. Even-numbered 'rings are also available in narrow-wide, which allows drive engagement on both inner and outer chain links. Irrelevant to Rohloff use, narrow-wide chainrings also aid chain retention without the need for a front guide or derailleur when used with 1x drivetrains. They work especially well with clutch-type rear derailleurs that maintain even chain tension by eliminating rear mech bounce on rough terrain.

• Sinz BMX chainrings are sometimes available in 110BCD 37t versions made from forged aluminum, which has then been milled. Best chance for off sizes is in silver, as color-anodized versions tend to favor even sizes.

• Praxisworks and Chop Saw (via BMX supplier PorkChopUSA) each make a 104BCDx37t 'ring.

• American cycling manufacturer Ted Durant's RONA manufacturing (Heron bicycles) in Milwaukee, WI produced chainrings under the Willow label (Triplizer, Willow). Chainrings are available in 110BCDx37t. These may also have been marketed by QBP as Engagement chainrings and by Salsa. None seem to be currently supplied any longer, but a quick search shows many available as NOS at bargain prices. David Banzer at Treetop Cycles bought a huge lot from Ted, and some of those are still available from Treetop Cycles: http://treetop.bigcartel.com/ Specifically: http://treetop.bigcartel.com/product/willow-chainring-110-bcd-34t-39t-options

Hopefully helpful,

Dan.

[rualexander]

Sherpa goes Bikepacking (sort of)
http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=8665.msg85416#msg85416

[rualexander]

Sherpa goes island hopping.

Just back at the weekend from two weeks touring in the Hebrides, first week glorious sunny weather, second week mixed with a couple of wet days.
Probably covered more miles by ferry than on the bike, only cycled about 200 miles, but they were quality miles!
Started in Oban, then up through Mull, across to Ardnamurchan, up to Mallaig, out to Rum for couple of days, back to Mallaig, then out to South Uist, over to Barra via Eriskay, then down to Tiree, and finally back to Oban.
The highlight was the Isle of Rum, first time out there, only about ten miles or so of track for cycling but fantastic scenery and wild camping.
The Sherpa handled everything with ease.
New second hand Hilleberg Stalon tent (to replace my 18 year old one which has started disintegrating due to UV damage), got lucky on ebay a few weeks ago with an as-new red Stalon coming up just at the right time and got it for £200, bit of a bargain, would have preferred green again but they are no longer made and very rarely for sale. Red looks good in the photos though.

Photo slideshow of trip here https://www.flickr.com/photos/rualexander/sets/72157668520594811/show

[geocycle]

Another great slideshow Rual!  I'm heading up to Arran, Islay, Jura then across the great Glen to Inverness in July so that's really whetted my appetite.

[John Saxby]

Brilliant photos of magnificent landscapes, Rual.  Rich colours, and I see that as usual the weather gods capitulated and slunk away in despair when you ventured forth on your Sherpa. Who knows?-- maybe I too can visit the Isles of the Blest & find sunshine & happiness there ...