Wednesday 17th July 2024 - Jack Taylor Super Tourist - Contin - Meig Dam

 Was out yesterday on a lovely ride from Contin out to Meig dam with my usual wingman Brian (epicyclo) and my young son Caleb. Calebs first time down this road.

It was certainly a good day for it, bit of cloud, no wind but quite warm.
While not a big epic ride it was good 4 or so hours out and about enjoying the beautiful scenery.
I had the Super Tourer sorted, I hoped, everything cleaned and regreased, BB, headset, hubs, new tyres and it didn't disappoint. It really did finally feel like riding a new bike, quiet, everything slick, even the dyno that I inadvertently clicked on was hardly noticeable.
I got Caleb to take it for a ride, he doesn't like drop bars at all, but put it in a gear and said just ride the tops and see what you think. Well when I could finally prize his backside from the seat, he was all full of wonder at how nice it was. It's a start. 

It was nice to finally have the Super Tourer riding as it should. While technically it is a new bike in the sense it had only done 20 miles, it was unused for 34 years and as such had dried up/thickening grease as well as naturally perished rubber. So was nice to feel it how I always imagined it would. 
Anyway, good to be out mid week and getting a ride in with my boy. Hopefully he will be out with us on a few more of these randonneur type rides. 

I think it tired him slightly as he was asleep in the van on our 2 hour + drive home. 

Jamie

Sunday 07th July 2024 - Flying Scot Group BBQ - East Lothian - Scotland

 Sunday seen what was an informal gathering of a few Flying Scot enthusiasts gathering for a social Sunday BBQ at Andrew F's lockup near Edinburgh.

The plan was that a BBQ would be on from 11am with Andrews own very impressive collection of Flying Scots as well as many other historically significant Scottish frames on view, a couple of Graeme Obree bikes, and anyone wanting to come encouraged to bring their own Scot for everyone to see. I took the old tandem down with me.
What a turn out it was with a very big gathering of enthusiasts from the facebook group, ex racers, friends and new faces gathering to admire the many bikes, have a bite to eat and make new friends. A few Scottish racing royalty in attendance as well with Vic Polanski with a few of his grass track title bikes, Brian Temple who Andrew has his 1970 Commonwealth games silver medal winning bike, Ron Gardiner who raced the Peace Race on a Flying Scot early in the 1960's amongst other national and international races, Sandy Gilchrist and other very accomplished road and track men.
A great day was had by all for sure.
I travelled down to Brians the night before and we both headed down, spent the day down south before the long slog back up north. Very well worth it. Lots of people I had talked on line with and finally got to meet face to face and to catch up with a few old friends that I hadn't seen for a long while. Nice to meet up with Matt and Kenny formerly from Shand and especially to hear of Matts frame building now for himself in Glasgow.
Here is a couple of photos.

Jamie Nans Rattrays Star model

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