My New Raven Tour

[freddered]

Garmin Geko 200.  Same size as mobile phone and has a bar-mount (although it works fine in Map-case of bar-bag and it totally waterproof).
Here it is on my accessory bar  http://www.geocities.com/freddered1/bars.jpg .  You can just make out the Arrow pointing the way to a waypoint.  It points directly at a waypoint and also displays the (constantly changing) distance to it, this means you can tell in advance of an upcoming waypoint/turn.  When you arrive at the waypoint it then points you to the next one, and the next one...until you reach the end of the route (that you plotted on your separate Map software).

I use Fugawi (Where the Fugawi?) Map software 1:50,000 OS on my PC to plot a route.
Upload the route to the Garmin and it points the way (along with about 100 other features like keeping a constant track of where you have been that you can download to PC later, ETA, altitude, Av Speed moving, Av speed overall.....etc..etc).
It's one of the best pieces of kit I ever bought, does exactly what I wanted.  Doesn't replace a map (because it does not have a map display) but it saves a lot of time when following a route, it means you can keep moving quickly on country lanes without the usual stopping at every unmarked junction to figure out where you are.

Beware !! It's totally useless for cycling (in my opinion) without PC Digital Maps (but brilliant when used in conjunction). Beware, the cheaper Geko 100 can not synch with PC so it (in my humble opinion) useless for cycling.

Geko 200
£85 from Comet
£5 for PC synch cable off Ebay
Mapping s/w is epensive but Fugawi 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey, although not perfect, works well for me and is about 40 quid for a huge area (much cheaper than buying OS Landranger Maps for the same area and you can print off selected areas).  You can also 'Fly'through the OS map in 3D Terrian view..check out those big hills in 3D.

Great toys, highly recommended.

[stutho]

Hi Fredderred, I too use Fugawi.

I agree with you that without a PC based mapping program the GPS is almost useless.

BUT  how do you find Fugawi to use?  

I find it very difficult.  Lots of things annoy me about the user interface for example the fact it creates a duplicate set of way points every time I download from the GPS and that the datum defaults to WGS84 when OS maps are NOT based on it! (OS use OSGB36.) Even the instruction says to use WGS84!

It does do everything it should it just takes (me) a while to get there.

PS Have you had your bike back yet?  

[freddered]

I use FUGAWI a lot so I've learned to work around it's quirks/shortcomings.
I've tried other S/W and they have some better features and some worse.  The biggest advantage for me is getting the whole of the South of England in one CD.  That's a lot of Ordnance Survey Maps.

A few of my friends now use Fugawi also. This means we can send routes and tracks to each other (they are tiny files).

FYI you can convert between GPS formats using code from www.gpsbabel.org

I've sent a Fugawi Track file to my friend and he's converted it for use on his TOM-TOM-GO equipped Mobile Phone.  (Sat-Nav on a Phone?  yes really.)

[freddered]

Re.  New Frame for my Raven Tour. (537L swapped for a 537S)
I think it may be perfect now.  The top tube is considerably shorter which means I can use a long Stem.  This gives me proper access to the shifter mounted on accessory bar under handlebars.

The reach to the hoods is now more comfortable and the riding position on the top of the bars is more suited to sightseeing (it's quite upright).  I've wrapped the bars in inner-tube and doubled up on Cork tape.  They are fat and comfy now.

I have a slight issue though.
There is now a regular clicking (every 5 or 6 pedal-strokes) which wasn't there before. It's not the pedals (I swapped them to check), I don't think it's the chain (I've checked every link).  It's an annoyance really because it was absolutely smooth before.  Someone out there give me a clue (I suspect Bottom Bracket but it's not every pedal-stroke).  It feels like a slightly "square" ball-bearing somewhere in the drive-chain.

If I can get rid of this minor problem then it is a near-prefect bike for me.  (Near-Perfect???.....Yes, I want STI shifters, then it would be perfect).

Will post some final pictures soon (after my new Ortlieb Bike Packer Plus Panniers arrive (in Graphite)).
I've read a lot of good things about them over the last year or so.  I'm hoping they are the Panniers for life on my Bike for life.

[freddered]

Here is the finished item:



Extremely pleased with the way the bike rides and how it looks.

I hope to test it out with a short camp sometime this summer.  I've already loaded it with my camping gear and it handled fine.  Maybe I will end up with some Low-Rider panniers up front but not yet (I've spent enough).

[stutho]

Congratulate it is a true beauty.   The colour scheme is excellent.

(Have you solved the clicking yet?)

[PH]

Looks very nice and somehow well proportioned for a 26" wheel bike with drop bars, so often they just look wrong.
Your panniers seem to be riding high, is that the only option?  I was considering a pair of those but would also want to law my tent across the rack, which doesn’t look like it would be possible from your photo.

[freddered]

Yes, they do ride 10-15cm higher than the rack. Take a look here
http://www.downtheroad.org/Equipment/Bikes/Bicycle_Touring_Panniers.htm and you'll see 2 things:

1. The guy has tried many panniers and only the Ortlieb survived

2. The photo at the bottom shows the mounting clips in relation to the top of the pannier, the top of the pannier is higher than the clips by some distance.

There's nothing you can do about it. You would need to pack differently.

[PH]

quote:Originally posted by freddered
Yes, they do ride 10-15cm higher than the rack. Take a look here

Thanks for the reply.  I've a pair of ten year old front rollers so I've no questions about Ortlieb reliability.  I'll have to have a think, on the Raven I take 4 small panniers, I was looking for something for my Audax bike, so I can camp one night before an Audax, so not looking to take full camping kit and no front rack.

[Hbunnet]

I am delighted with my Raven Tour although I have very few miles on it because I am away from home.

The frame finish is excellent and the decals discreet which I like. I really want to keep my bike in stealth mode and not show off what an expensive machine it is.

Is there any downside to removing the garish Mavic Stickers from the rims? Also the Rohloff sticker, but this does carry a serial number, so I may keep just that part.

An option I am considering is to remove the Mavic stickers and cover up the Rohloff one with tape.
I have already started covering over the "Shimano Deore" decals on brakes and levers with black tape.

I have also fitted an ancient faded Carradice saddle bag which certainly adds some years to the bike's appearance.

It will be obvious to bike nuts what the bike is, but not to casual bad hat chavs.

Any suggestions?

[stutho]

Hi Hbunnet:

quote:Is there any downside to removing the garish Mavic Stickers from the rims

These were the first stickers I removed!  There is one problem though. Mavic use an internal wear indicator.  The sticker indicates where you must look on the exterior of the rim to check it.

I didn't remove the Rohloff sticker.  Although I am tempted every time I clean the bike.

I have heard that bikes with brown leather saddles are ignored by you average tea leaf.

PS Welcome to the list

[frog]

I seem to remember reading in the Rohloff manual you can remove the sticker on the hub and they suggest if you do then you should engrave the serial number on the hub.  I think if someone took an engraver to my hub I'd either cry or kill them where they stood  []

I do agree the bike looks so understated.  I've had a couple of comments at work about the lack of gears and how 'boring' it looks.  The carbon bar ends got a good comment or two and that's about it.  In fact I'm really self conscious about the huge Abus lock I've brought to protect the bike.  I'm begining to wonder if the lock will attract more thieves because if you spend that sort of money on a lock then it must be worth nicking - whatever it is.

My little hatchling is coming up for 3 weeks old now and we rack up 500 miles tomorrow  []

[Hbunnet]

Stutho said

"I have heard that bikes with brown leather saddles are ignored by you average tea leaf."

Thanks for the rim label information, Stutho,  I need to look closer.  Mavic's web site is impenetrable.
I actually had the Brooks Competition saddle fitted since I have a spare B17. To my surprise, the Competion is fine so far although I have only put about 150miles total on it. I plan to keep it on to see how I manage on longer distances.

The bike feels much faster than I expected, an unexpected bonus. I have the carbon comfort bars which is a bit of an indulgence and I do find them a bit wide, but on the road I have been using the inboard bar ends which give a good  comfortable position.

I am very happy.

[freddered]

In case anyone is teetering on the edge of buying a Raven, let me just mention my last ride.  It's the longest day ride of my life, 165 miles from Hampshire due North to Staffordshire.  The bike ran like an absolute dream, silently, smoothly and never missed a gear shift.

Sure you can do this on a derailleur but the silence and smoothness you get from the Rohloff makes the whole thing a bit more relaxed and stress-free.

Now I'm off to read about Medial Knee Ligament pain (not the Raven's fault).

[geocycle]

Sorry to resurect an old thread but this discussion and especially fredered's comments really helped to make up my mind -thanks guys.  

My Raven Tour arrived yesterday!  So far it feels great.  Went for ergon grips with inboard carbon bar ends.  The ergon's feel very comfortable but I did get some numbness in my left hand on the first ride.  I'll experiment with the seat position before I blame the grips.  Agreed with all that's been said about the Rohloff -7th is really awful - I was anticipating some noise but not the vibration through the pedals and I was suprised at the freewheel noise.  As others have mentioned 8-14th are great.  The grip shift is not as nice as STIs but very precise.

To me this rides more like an mtb than my previous hybrids but is very stable and surprisingly light (lighter than my aluminium Dawes discovery).  It is understated quality, especially in black, which is exactly what I'd been trying to achieve.

Anyone recommend how best to remove the rohloff label on the hub?