The Metric Century (100KM) A Month Challenge ChatZone

[cyberknight]

july done and dusted
66 miles in total to cannock chase

 

[KingswayRider]

Well done. I suffered a freehub failure (tbf there had been mild warnings at least in retrospect) on the way back from a Wednesday pub, made late by one more cheeky half. At about 2315 on a rural road, with a hip waiting for replacement (so walking running scooting home was not an option (10km+)): freehub fail. Zipties to anchor the cassette to the spokes failed/parted as soon as any force applied. Fortunately I had some friends in the next village so scooted (false flat) ther and knocked them up (getting on for midnight) and borrowed/swapped a bike to get me home, remediated in the morning returning bike and bottle, and new freehub (which my LBS had in stock) fitted on the Thursday afternoon.
But what are the failed freehub workarounds? It's been suggested that if one has/carries a spare gear cable that will do. Or I guess pull out the rear gear cable and use that.

Pull out gear cable? What gear cable? Not an option on Di2. I've done 20 miles with just a RH crank (one legged pedalling) & destroyed my feet walking 7.5 miles in road shoes & cleats on another occasion.

 

[Ajax Bay]

But what are the failed freehub workarounds? It's been suggested that if one has/carries a spare gear cable that will do. Or I guess pull out the rear gear cable and use that.

Pull out gear cable? What gear cable? Not an option on Di2. I've done 20 miles with just a RH crank (one legged pedalling) & destroyed my feet walking 7.5 miles in road shoes & cleats on another occasion.

So what is your 'failed freehub' workaround (fail to see the relevance of either one-legged pedalling or walking 7.5 miles)?
Just cross your fingers, I guess. Or use the rear brake cable (don't tell me: you have hydraulics).

 

[ukbabz]

I had a failed freehub on the mountain bike, I managed to limp it to the pub by attaching the cassette to the spokes with a series of cable ties. You can't freewheel though

 

[Dogtrousers]

Sigh... This is making me nervous.

I can see I'm going to have to add freewheel emergency kit to the stupid amount of clobber I already carry.

Let's see .... Chain whip, cassette tool, spare cassette. Maybe I can save weight by not including all the sprockets.

 

[KingswayRider]

So what is your 'failed freehub' workaround (fail to see the relevance of either one-legged pedalling or walking 7.5 miles)?
Just cross your fingers, I guess. Or use the rear brake cable (don't tell me: you have hydraulics).

If the cable tie "fix" doesn't work, then you've either got an expensive hobby horse or you're walking. Correct, I'm on hydraulics, so no brake cable. I used to carry a spare gear cable when mtb'ing, but no point on Di2 & discs. I only mentioned the other issues as we've all had some sort of failure where we've struggled home, so can relate to frustration.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Have I missed something? How do you fix a broken freewheel with a cable? Use it to tie the sprockets to the spokes and make a kind of fixed wheel?

I can't see that working. Not with me trying to do it anyway. Or is it something much clevererer and subtler?

 

[Ajax Bay]

How do you fix a broken freewheel with a cable? Use it to tie the sprockets to the spokes and make a kind of fixed wheel? I can't see that working.

When this happened to me I knew the standard 'solution' was to ziptie the cassette to the spokes and fixed wheel it.
However your (my) normal sprockets slice zipties like butter as soon as any force is applied.
Clearly a cable will not be sliced and it's a lot longer so can be secured on more spokes. I have not trialed this. My enquiry was to find someone who had (or another 'solution'; not a non-solution 'just walk home').
But if one is on cutting edge multiple point of failure technology (Di2 and hydraulics) carrying a spare cable is unreasonable. Just subscribe to ETA.

 

[cyberknight]

you may have noticed most of my rides are about the same length , this is because the club ride they like a certain distance so it works out about the same most weeks .
I think i might have to drop out due to having my surgery on the 27th of july so im not sure if i will manage to get a ride in august but we shall see .

 

[Dogtrousers]

you may have noticed most of my rides are about the same length , this is because the club ride they like a certain distance so it works out about the same most weeks .
I think i might have to drop out due to having my surgery on the 27th of july so im not sure if i will manage to get a ride in august but we shall see .

Look after yourself

 

[Ajax Bay]

@Sea of vapours Chapeau to yet another century. Looking to the future I envisage serious trouble when you achieve an Eddington number (imperial) of 100 and then think about getting to 101. Trouble I'd be delighted to have, but I think Old Father Time will take me before I get even a sniff of your lofty heights.

 

[Sea of vapours]

Thanks @Ajax Bay . I'm notionally behind my Lunacy rides target, and the weather's mostly lacklustre at best, so I'm taking all opportunities to catch up a bit.

I am reasonably comfortable that, whilst an imperial Eddington of one hundred will be very pleasing, I'll be content with that. I think primarily in kilometres so the imperial centuries are something of a sideline driven by my Lunacy target of 150km. i.e. 161km is soooo close to 150km that I find it hard to not add on the 11km ! In fact, I'm specifically trying to do 100 miles, and not often 101 / 102 / 103 in order to make 101 properly out of reach ;-) Yesterday's was a mere 290 metres over distance !

 

[Ajax Bay]

I assumed that you might be doing the ICaM but looking over there they have (only) 2 riders still in, and it's only July. Some interesting @Aravis analysis in their chat thread (January) on participation (and lack of it). MCaM healthier, in cc participation terms, anyway.

 

[Sea of vapours]

I assumed that you might be doing the ICaM but ...

I'd need to move house to consider the ICaM, so I won't ever be doing that. I do the Lunacy as I don't want to be 'obliged', or tempted, to do rides which, for me, would necessarily involve the hazards of darkness and possible ice in lumpy terrain in the winter months.

As you say, the MCaM is pleasingly healthier. In general, the MCaM is obviously 'easier', but for me the main point is that it's less liable to failure due to the vagaries of weather conditions.

 

[cyberknight]

this week was a bust due to weather and getting jobs done around the house pre operation lets hope i can get one in maybe before the end of august for next month as i was doing ok .