July 2024 - Jack Taylor Super Tourist - New Tyres - Michelin World Tour 700c X 35

 Finally the new tyres arrived. 

It was time to replace the original World Tours with a set of new fresh versions. While the old ones had only done about 60 miles over their life, they were fitted in 1983 and when I bought it last year they were splitting and cracking on the sidewalls. 

Once off you could really see they were splitting all over the tread as well. Even with such low mileage I  am lucky I hadn't punctured on them or even worse, had a blowout. 

All fitted and hubs greased and adjusted now as well so it is rolling superbly. While the old ones looked fine to me, you could certainly see the improvement with the new ones. 

Felt noticeably nicer on the test ride as well. I would imagine they are a bit more supple, though whether this is because they aren't 34 years old or because of developments in the tyre over the years, but either way an improvement. 

Jamie 

Old and New

Monday 24th June 2024 - cut short ride on the Jack Taylor Super Tourist

 Well I did manage to get Monday afternoon and today off. 

So the rough plan due to the late start, was I would get a lift Monday lunchtime out towards Melvich, Bettyhill way and head south to Altnaharra and then see how I was going and either head back towards home through remote Sire and Forsinard or keep heading south towards Lairg and Dingwall and make an overnighter at least out of it. 
The Super Tourist has a new KMC chain in the right width which with a bit of front derailleur adjustment improves the running in the big ring immensely. I suspect that the chain being unused for 30 odd years, even though new and kept inside, may have been done for and that just before I picked it up a new chain had been fitted, maybe, maybe not but either way the heavily oiled Regina chain that was on it was 8.3mm wide instead of the usual 7.3mm and with the Arabesque front mech needing to go well past the ring to engage the chain made the stronglight crank arm hit the back of the mech, making it virtually impossible to make it engage properly or even stay on the ring as the crank arm would hit it so hard that it would shoot it back onto the small ring. These Stronglight 80 arms have such tight clearance to the chainring that the front derailleur needs to be setup just right. On my Mercian I have the same Stronglight crankset but run a Sora front derailleur as it is very flat and straight on the outside edge of the cage. The chain would also occasionally not engage on the larger cog of the freewheel and would just run over the teeth meaning the was no engagement just a free spin.  The new chain fixed this as well.  Certainly had a couple of on the fly adjustments before it was working spot on but now it is as it should be, like a new bike :) 
Any way as this was only going to be a short overnighter or long ride into the night gear was kept to a minimum with just a jacket and a change of clothes as well as my long riding trouser and a long sleeve jersey. It was pretty hot up here on Monday so shorts and short sleeve jersey were the order of the day. 
I got dropped off by Heather just short of Bettyhill as she was going that way for lunch. It was a shame I had to go into work in the morning as I was now starting at 12. and the wind was coming from the south now so I would have a headwind for the rest of the afternoon. My thinking was if I got to the Sire junction and the wind was too bad I would head east and back towards home probably about 4 or 5 hours but should be a cross or tail wind. 
As it was I was approaching Sire about 20 miles into the ride and pushing into a big headwind down the valley, the bike was handling really nicely with the bag on the front and my trunk bag on the rear rack, feeling like I was putting a lot of effort in, even with the headwind.  I stopped for a drink or something and just happened to turn the crank backwards, it was really stiff. At first I thought it was the rear derailleur or the freewheel but soon worked out it was the bottom bracket. I knew inside me what it was as I hadn't pulled it apart and regreased it after it sitting for 34 years, I had done the hubs, headset and everything else but because it was working and I just wanted to ride I thought I would do that on a rainy day. I probably rode about a half mile before I thought I need to stop before I do any damage to it. 
Luckily for me I phoned Heather and she was just about to leave and would meet me back at Bettyhill or come and get me. I was pretty sure I would make the 20 odd mile back to Bettyhill easily enough without it seizing up as it had grease, it was just solidifying as I went. 
Luckily I only had to ride back to Bettyhill and was so lucky to have Heather there with the van. 
Once home I sat out in the back garden and pulled the Stronglight bottom bracket apart. With the chain off it was quite an effort to turn it and with the crank arm off impossible. It felt more than just solid grease, though it was smooth and didn't in any way feel dry. At first I thought it might have nipped up somehow, just overtightened enough. Once apart it was clear how the grease had turned to a thick heavy grade, also and importantly the plastic sleeve was deformed and split on each end with a bit of plastic pulled off. This may have been the cause of the tightness. Strangely as well, the non drive side had 12 bearings instead of the usual 11 fall out. Once all cleaned, degreased and re assembled, though without the sleeve for the short term until the new one arrives, both sides only took 11 bearings?? One spare. 
I know, I know, my own fault as I should have done it a year ago when I got it, but it is done now and spinning like a top. Now it definitely feels like the new bike. I have another day or two off so will hopefully get out on it then for a longer ride.  Not the ride I was aiming for but still better than no ride and hopefully getting all the bugs ironed out. 

 
Jamie  

Saturday 15th June 2024 - Jack Taylor Super Tourist - new bag setup and coast ride

 Set up my Ostrich bag on the Super Tourer yesterday. Then tried it out round the coast. 

I have had the bag for a long time sitting in a box in the loft, almost forgotten but not quite, when I was pondering which way to set up the Super Tourist for a couple of days away I have planned for the end of the month. Instead of a full decauler I just ordered a £5 bar extension to try it, make sure it all fits and works before ordering a fancy Nitto version. I need the space in front of the bars due to the Mafac safety levers.

Good bag, strong, holds a mountain of gear and secure with a strap underneath holding it on the rack. 
Getting it sorted as I have a few days off so will hopefully get away and head south on some quiet roads. This bag on it's own would be a good overnighter as it is quite big and with a multitude of different size pockets around it's outside for keeping track of the little stuff. It secured really well and didn't move even when on the off road tracks. Well happy with it and it is in keeping with the style of the Super Tourist.  

I am also swapping out the front derailleur and also the chain for a NOS 1980's 5/6 speed. I think at some point that the front derailleur was swapped out in the shop after being built and then 7 years later being finally sold, as the Arabesque mech does not like running on the straight arm Stronglight crank. There is minimal room and when I do get it adjusted/trimmed it doesn't take much more than going up and down the cog before the mech is hitting the back of the crank arm. The arabesque has the out turned bit right at the front which doesn't help but the flex means when the crank arm comes around it hits the bottom outside edge of the cage. I think the right size chain with the 7mm pins rather than this one which is 8.3mm wide and I am going to try a old Sora cage which I run on my Mercian with the exact same chainset but in a triple. The Sora cage is very flat and doesn't even look close to hitting. It may not have been swapped out but I don't think it was run far. To be fair when I got the bike it had never been in the big ring as there was not a mark. Just a bit of tinkering, good for the soul and will just make it a bit nicer again. 

Though still early days really with this tourer as I have only owned it under a year, it rides so nicely and comfortably. I am really keen to put a medium load on it and head south for a few days, but first I need to just sort these little issues out.  

Time may be the limiting factor but even a few days would be great. 

Jamie  

Sunday 31st March 2024 - Aviemore Easter Ride - Jack Taylor Super Clubman

 Easter Weekend ride part 2:

A weekend away south to Aviemore to meet up with family and friends from even further south and  spend some time together over the long weekend. We only really get to see each other once, maybe twice a year so it's always good. They are not bike people at all but seen as how this year we were meeting in Aviemore, which I ride regularly in the area and also I know that getting them all ready for breakfast usually takes until at least 10.00am or so, I put the Jack Taylor as well as my Pugsley in the van. As I have done in the past, I will get up early and head out before the others are all up and spend a couple of hours exploring, then back for a quick shower and breakfast with everyone.

The weather was a mixed bag with Saturday being fine first thing for my time out on the Pugsley for it to then rain for most of the rest of Saturday. The Saturday Pugsley ride is in the previous post. 

Sunday morning with the Jack Taylor ready and waiting to go I was up, washed and ready to go but was a bit concerned that it was foggy, minus 2 and, quite icy still, as I found out when I stepped out of the static caravan onto the plastic decking! looked like little puddles of water but it was ice! Everything was frozen. 
Not to worry as the path and the roads looked alright so I decided to ride the all weather dirt path up to Glenmore and see what the weather was doing once I gained some altitude.
Well it didn't take too long, just a mile or two before the sun was poking through and everything was steaming away, there was a bit of ice about but as long as you were careful it was fine. The track was pretty good and the freeze helped to solidify a lot of the mud, so more welcome than not. This 6 mile path, while dirt, seems to drain fairly well and with just the right amount of embedded gravel to hit that nice blend of grip while not being too rough. The JT ran nicely with the 33mm Jackie Brown tyres fitted, running around 50psi.  
With the sun out I kept going upwards, especially after the cafe at the Glenmore visitors centre was closed. 

The JT was handling the dirt and gravel superbly and was so comfortable even when it got dry and rough. Easy to ride in that environment for sure, so surefooted and predictable. I headed back after a while and stopped at one of the cafes near Loch Morlich, the Pine Martin bar, where Heather and I had camped previously, for a coffee and bacon roll, sitting outside just taking in the peace and quiet of a Sunday morning in the hills, before fully enjoying the sunshine and the mostly downhill run dropping back down to Aviemore. A thoroughly enjoyable ride and was so happy I took the JT with me. Love this bike. Really do. It has to be one of the nicest bikes I have ever ridden. It just fits right, handles superbly and no matter where I ride it leaves me smiling.
I did find when I got home tonight and unloaded out the van that all five chainring bolts were loose. Now loctited. Maybe it was a little rougher in places than I thought. :) 

Jamie 

Still foggy

Saturday 30th March 2024 - Aviemore ride out on the Pugsley

 I hope everyone is doing OK and managing to get a few rides in here and there despite the rubbish weather conditions lately here in the UK.

I spent Easter down in Aviemore visiting with family and friends who came up so we could all spend the weekend together. We had a big static caravan. It was a very nice weekend away. Now they aren't bike people but they also aren't the best morning people either. So that meant I slipped the Pugsley and the Jack Taylor into the van. As in previous years get togethers, in Callender and in Helensbrough that meant I would get up early, go for a ride for a few hours and return to head out to breakfast and the day together.
We arrived Friday afternoon. Saturday morning was sunny and I was on the track for Loch Morlich by about 7.30 on the Pugsley. It was nice but had a few spits of rain. Just spent my time following the all weather path to Glenmore and then exploring the tracks heading south on the other side of the road. Great fun. It was good to be back out on the Pugsley, now sporting a 1 x 9 gear setup. While I have ridden this area quite often over many years on the Pugsley, this is the first time with gears. While only a couple of hours and on the easier paths and trails, it was a great way to start the day.  

The rest of Saturday was spent dodging rain showers so certainly had the nicest weather for the ride.

Jamie 

Sunday 24th March 2024 - Jack Taylor Super Clubman shakedown ride - Caithness

 Yesterday was the first decent weather day when I hadn't been super busy so with a few hours to spare I decided to head out for a bit of leisurely riding on the Super Tourist. More of a test ride of sorts as I had been tinkering away here and there trying to sort some of the shifting issues I have had since I got it.

There are several issues I believe all coming together to make it inconsistent on shifting and when it goes wrong, a bit dangerous on two occasions. Minor and niggles to be expected really but on an otherwise sweet ride they are annoying.
It would shift onto the large chainring but was rubbing the front Arabesque guides on the derailleur, I retrimmed this on a couple of occasions thinking it was sorted, though the Arabesque cages are very narrow, I did check against another I had and they were both the same. After the weekends ride I managed to put it down to a slightly warped chainring by 1.23mm and a joining link where the two pins stick a couple of mm past the backing plate, enough that now it's just a very annoying, rythmic tink, tink, tink. The other issue was the rear Suntour derailleur being a bit 'sticky', I would get trimmed up really nicely when at home and very slickly clicking through the gears to then get out on the road and it would not go onto the largest gear and would rub, that was easy enough to see as it was hitting the metal pie dish spoke protector before it could shift the chain onto the gear. The main issue though is while it was trimmed and working fine at home it would then hit the spokes on the rear, would try and over throw the chain only to land between the spoke protector and cog and would generally miss the odd shift, this too got a bit better with a good strip and degrease and then lube up the pivot points and the springs and then the third issue being the freewheel itself, have tried to clean out the old grease, regrease and make sure it is well lubed but it still just randomly will disengage, most noticably after a run with a bit of pressure, say on a long flat and then when you shift to go up a hill, it takes a second to realise that it's not engaged and you are just spinning, then hunt both directions to have it engage before you topple over still clipped in  These are legacies of a bike sitting unused for 30 odd years with grease hardening, things drying out etc so minor things in the scheme of it but definitely must get it sorted soon as I couldn't trust it on a long tour and to be honest the three things combined would drive me mad on a long tour. I will most likely swap out the rear derailleur, freewheel and replace the joiner on the chain and, if then needed, the large chainring, I am sure this will cure it.
Otherwise yesterdays ride was a really nice ride out to the southwest of the county. Sticking to the quieter single track roads I could ride along getting more and more familiar with this Jack Taylor. In a similar style to my Super Clubman it has that very relaxed but responsive feeling. You can certainly feel the touring geometry being longer with more relaxed angles and more rake on the front. I think that this one, even more so than the Super Clubman would handle even better with a bag on the front. Maybe if I try a brevit down to Dingwall to Brians overnight as a test run I will just have my trunk bag and a couple of small front panniers and see how the handling goes.
I have adjusted all the contacts to fit and it feels very comfortable and everything just falls to hand. So once I get niggles out the way I am looking forward to some good quality miles in the spring and summer.

Jamie