Cycling Around the World, Sadly had to return for major repairs

[John Peel]

Great work John. Have you considered putting heavy stuff like spares and infrequently needed kit in a cardboard box,

I have looked into it. My plan was originally to have made it to India before the worst of winter hit Europe, but now with this setback I won't make it but will make it eventually. I would then have dumped all my winter gear as it would be warmish weather all the way from then on and I could travel much lighter, even ditching the camping gear from India to Singapore. If I were to do a cycle tour of a few weeks or a month or so, I'm in no doubt I could get away with just the 2 pannier bags on the rear rack, and maybe even one if I wanted to go light. I would do away with the shaving gear, many changes of clothing, laptop and all sorts, camp chair and table, and just let myself go wild, it would be fun no doubt, and knowing it wouldn't be long before I was home to a warm bed and shower and all the mod cons would make it easier to deal with, but being as I was and still planning to be away for years, I couldn't live so bare bones like that for that long, it would drive me crazy. When and if I finish this tour, I would love to do some ultra light tours of countries not on this route, it would be amazing. All the best on your tour.

 

[John Peel]

Well done, for your achievement thus far, as a newbie to long distance touring. I would recommend arranging a cycle repair course

A course on cycle repair and maintenance is what I'm looking into right now actually, to make use of this layoff. I wanted to feel this RTW tour as a complete novice in every way. I wanted to know if a hairy arsed middle aged builder could get on a bike and cycle solo completely around the world. I wanted to feel every bump in the road so to speak, and I have done that alright But now, after 3 months and 3300km's through some crazy tough terrain, I think I have learned an awful lot. After 10 hours one day of riding on rocky on gravel camino tracks in the heart of Spain, I developed a bulge in my tire wall, but I didn't have a clue as to what had caused it as I had never experience this. I only noticed when my ride felt like I was going permanently over a cattle grid and my first thought was a buckled wheel, which I hadn't a clue how to repair. I called into a bike shop to buy another tyre, and was told the rough ground had weakened the tyre wall, hence the bulge. A new tyre and I was on my way, but will be more careful on trails with bigger sharper rocks. I will take on a course and learn how to true a wheel and change a chain, especially now I have gone with chain drive. I can still have a spare chain made to exactly the same size as the first, and it can remain in a loop, as my frame has a section that comes apart to accommodate the belt, so I can put a chain on in full the same way. I am loving learning as I go, it feels like the real adventure I had in mind, and I will be completely honest, I imagined the scenario of my having to return with a gearing, even before I set out. I felt that if it can go wrong in some way, I would be the one to experience it, but I still held out hope I wouldn't, as may people haven't had a problem. How may people have actually cycled completely around the world in one go on one I have no idea, but very few I would imagine. I hope my experiences help others.

 

[NickNick]

A course on cycle repair and maintenance is what I'm looking into right now actually, to make use of this layoff. I wanted to feel this RTW tour as a complete novice in every way. I wanted to know if a hairy arsed middle aged builder could get on a bike and cycle solo completely around the world. I wanted to feel every bump in the road so to speak, and I have done that alright But now, after 3 months and 3300km's through some crazy tough terrain, I think I have learned an awful lot. After 10 hours one day of riding on rocky on gravel camino tracks in the heart of Spain, I developed a bulge in my tire wall, but I didn't have a clue as to what had caused it as I had never experience this. I only noticed when my ride felt like I was going permanently over a cattle grid and my first thought was a buckled wheel, which I hadn't a clue how to repair. I called into a bike shop to buy another tyre, and was told the rough ground had weakened the tyre wall, hence the bulge. A new tyre and I was on my way, but will be more careful on trails with bigger sharper rocks. I will take on a course and learn how to true a wheel and change a chain, especially now I have gone with chain drive. I can still have a spare chain made to exactly the same size as the first, and it can remain in a loop, as my frame has a section that comes apart to accommodate the belt, so I can put a chain on in full the same way. I am loving learning as I go, it feels like the real adventure I had in mind, and I will be completely honest, I imagined the scenario of my having to return with a gearing, even before I set out. I felt that if it can go wrong in some way, I would be the one to experience it, but I still held out hope I wouldn't, as may people haven't had a problem. How may people have actually cycled completely around the world in one go on one I have no idea, but very few I would imagine. I hope my experiences help others.

Would definitely recommend doing a bike repair/maintenance course, have a search to see if there are any biking coops near you, they often do decent courses. It should give you a good understanding how to work on your bike but the one thing to bear in mind with them is that they are normally teaching on the assumption you will be doing these repairs in a garage/workshop with the right tools for the job.

You will rarely have such conditions and can't carry round every possible tool you might need, so you will probably end up having to do "bush repairs", this is where youtube can really come into its own. There's a video out there for repairing pretty much anything with anything, so as long as you have some internet connectivity if you find yourself stuck too far from a shop without the right the tool for the repair, pop on to youtube and search e.g. "how to repair/remove X without proper tool". There's a pretty good chance someone will have done a tutorial that will get you out of a bind.

 

[Pale Rider]

My understanding is Rohloff do not make a belt drive sprocket themselves, but one or two third party companies do.

Taking that as hint, it seems to me putting a belt on a Rohloff may always be something of a compromise.

I wonder if the hub doesn't like the tension required by the belt.

I'm certainly no expert, and it's nor clear to me what you mean by the 'carrier'.

Does your hub have a quick release skewer or a nutted axle?

Mine has a quick release.

A dealer told me not to do it up too tight because the skewer can stretch.

 

[John Peel]

Would definitely recommend doing a bike repair/maintenance course

Thanks Nick, I'm getting some good advice here on this site. I'm loving learning as I go, and so glad I did it this way. I hope to get on a bike course shortly. If anyone knows of good ones in Liverpool, it would be appreciated. I am also no considering going a lot lighter when I resume, leaving all my camera gear at home and laptop, in place of a really good mobile phone, which I'm getting regardless to replace my iphone 5s which is on its way out. The same with my camping gear, I'm going to leave the chair, table, and other items at home. I'm wondering if I can keep everything down to 20kg or less. It will be a challenge, but at any time I can some of that gear sent out to me, especially while I'm still in Europe. Keeping some weight of the bike has got to help, surely, and losing a bit more myself will go away to take some strain of parts. From 151kg at start, I'm now down to 132kg, and could probably get down to around 110kg without looking like a racing snake. Its all good advice, and pretty much what I hoped for during my ride.

 

[John Peel]

I wonder if the hub doesn't like the tension required by the belt.

From what I could make out through email and our phone conversation, tension and alignment are key. A lot of the issue seemed to be a result of the new part being such, that any amount of out of alignment or tension with the belt would cause problems. The noise and grinding would be more noticeable when less pressure was applied to the pedals. I'm not sure how this will be different with a chain instead of a belt, but I'm told the new carrier / components work better with a chain, at least I can put a chain on whole due to have a frame that splits for a belt hey.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

From what I could make out through email and our phone conversation, tension and alignment are key. A lot of the issue seemed to be a result of the new part being such, that any amount of out of alignment or tension with the belt would cause problems. The noise and grinding would be more noticeable when less pressure was applied to the pedals. I'm not sure how this will be different with a chain instead of a belt, but I'm told the new carrier / components work better with a chain, at least I can put a chain on whole due to have a frame that splits for a belt hey.

They have been tested over 000,000's of miles with a chain. They work very well. The test cycle such as it was with a belt was inadequate, clearly.

 

[dodgy]

John, Evans run basic maintenance courses in store. Liverpool shop does them https://www.evanscycles.com/tools-maintenance/fix-it-classes_c

I've never attended one, maybe someone in here has and can feedback on quality.

 

[Pale Rider]

From what I could make out through email and our phone conversation, tension and alignment are key. A lot of the issue seemed to be a result of the new part being such, that any amount of out of alignment or tension with the belt would cause problems. The noise and grinding would be more noticeable when less pressure was applied to the pedals. I'm not sure how this will be different with a chain instead of a belt, but I'm told the new carrier / components work better with a chain, at least I can put a chain on whole due to have a frame that splits for a belt hey.

The chain needs hardly any tension to work, and will work over a much wider range of tension.

Far less fussy than the belt, on which as you've found tension is critical.

I'm sure plenty of users are happy with their belts, but your experience shows for full-on transcontinental adventure cycling a chain is the only option.

Incidentally, I spoke to a Dutch couple who were touring Scotland on Rohloff/belt bikes.

They seemed happy enough, although the woman said the belt was noisy in the wet.

 

[dodgy]

Pretty sure Mark Beaumont's first (and unsupported) RTW record was on a belt drive bike?

 

[Tin Pot]

Later on he was repeatedly stoned and had many attempts to force him off his bike and steel his stuff by kids or youths in Ethiopia.

I had this in Kenya - not even a glimpse of trouble all week, then you turn into a village and it all goes Pete Tong in a flash. I was ok, but it was an eye opener.

 

[Pale Rider]

Pretty sure Mark Beaumont's first (and unsupported) RTW record was on a belt drive bike?

I think that's right - it was mentioned in belt promotional material a few times.

Another snag with the belt is its tendency to roll off the sprocket.

Gates - the maker - cured that by making it wider.

Trouble with that is the bottom run of the belt is now more likely to pick up road grit which, when mashed into the belt by the sprocket, ruins the belt.

Mountain bikers tried hub gear/belt combinations.

Even a tuft of grass stuck to the belt can cause it to fail when the grass becomes trapped between it and the sprocket.

Resistance is another thing.

Some cyclists say you can feel a bit more than with a chain.

Theory is the belt teeth fit the sprocket snugly, so there can be some resistance when they disengage.

Made worse by the need for a wider belt to prevent roll off.

 

[NickNick]

Thanks Nick, I'm getting some good advice here on this site. I'm loving learning as I go, and so glad I did it this way. I hope to get on a bike course shortly. If anyone knows of good ones in Liverpool, it would be appreciated. I am also no considering going a lot lighter when I resume, leaving all my camera gear at home and laptop, in place of a really good mobile phone, which I'm getting regardless to replace my iphone 5s which is on its way out. The same with my camping gear, I'm going to leave the chair, table, and other items at home. I'm wondering if I can keep everything down to 20kg or less. It will be a challenge, but at any time I can some of that gear sent out to me, especially while I'm still in Europe. Keeping some weight of the bike has got to help, surely, and losing a bit more myself will go away to take some strain of parts. From 151kg at start, I'm now down to 132kg, and could probably get down to around 110kg without looking like a racing snake. Its all good advice, and pretty much what I hoped for during my ride.

Thanks Nick, I'm getting some good advice here on this site. I'm loving learning as I go, and so glad I did it this way. I hope to get on a bike course shortly. If anyone knows of good ones in Liverpool, it would be appreciated. I am also no considering going a lot lighter when I resume, leaving all my camera gear at home and laptop, in place of a really good mobile phone, which I'm getting regardless to replace my iphone 5s which is on its way out. The same with my camping gear, I'm going to leave the chair, table, and other items at home. I'm wondering if I can keep everything down to 20kg or less. It will be a challenge, but at any time I can some of that gear sent out to me, especially while I'm still in Europe. Keeping some weight of the bike has got to help, surely, and losing a bit more myself will go away to take some strain of parts. From 151kg at start, I'm now down to 132kg, and could probably get down to around 110kg without looking like a racing snake. Its all good advice, and pretty much what I hoped for during my ride.

Just found this that might be of use for you:

Looks like there are free courses (they look more detailed than the one Evans Cycles provides) if you meet the following criteria:

-To be eligible for FREE training sessions you need to live, work or study in the Merseyside or Halton area and be aged over 16.
https://www.bikeright.co.uk/merseyside/bitesizebikefix/

 

[John Peel]

Another snag with the belt is its tendency to roll off the sprocket..

What they did to stop the slipping was to create the centre track sprockets, where the belt rides on a centre rail by a grove in the belt. It forces mud and crap out either side.

 

[Pale Rider]

What they did to stop the slipping was to create the centre track sprockets, where the belt rides on a centre rail by a grove in the belt. It forces mud and crap out either side.

I believe the centre track also made the belt wider, which in other respects is just what you don't want.