DURA ACE CHAIN

Yesterday i changed the chain on my "Grand Tour bike", you know the "pink one" ! This chain was put on in april 2009 when setting up the bike before the "2009 Giro d'Italia" after the frame had been repainted by the cowboys who could not be bothered to supply "touchup paint" but also cheated the guy who handled the job for me. When i delivered the frame in 2008 the paint job was "Gratis/promo", yea so why advertise £60 jobs and charge £153? Oh , only some jobs are £60? Misleading advertising? Well Bristol cowboys you are getting plenty of free advertising of the sort you CANNOT buy ! Congrats on a lousy job! Guess how many people have seen the bike by now and how many more know this story "Word of mouth" as well as in print/media !

The chain survived until i was riding in the "Chain gang" back from Trieste to Jesolo" on the Sunday evening after the stage and powering up the big hill driving 56 on 11 at about 35kph standing on the pedals to stay in the group which was composed of "Dilitante/race standard youngsters" ! The chain link opened and i sat down in time to avoid a spill and got spat out the rear like a "fruit seed"! Several locals including a mt/biker tried to help close/replace the link, even put in several that i carry as spares to no avail. WEll after an hour out came the thumb back to the start.




Monday morning i pulled up short of the start and found a really helpful Italian Bike Mechanic after about a dozen false starts, most wanted to help but did not have "shimano parts"! This guy guaranteed his work would last the life of the chain, it did and longer ! You see it survived 2009(11+km) and even though i was told in april to replace the chain after having it measured i decided as everything was working more or less correctly, to continue but carry a replacement and links in case of breakdown.

Well this season passed satisfactorily until 3km from the top of the Madelaine when the chain broke as i was nursing it to the top after a link opened. Luckily for me i had stopped alongside some English guys who had their trailor parked beside the road and whilst i drank a cup of coffee they fixed the chain. Days later, the friday night , i was entering the town of Rodex when they hollered "Skippy" as they drove around the roundabout on the bypass of the town, sorry guys if you did not hear me holler back !

I had been at the finish of the Etappe on the Mende airfield when the first storm struck early in the evening and having descended into the town was heading out for the next day's start at Rodex when the heavens opened once again. Having spotted the "Presidential Motor cycle squadron" in a tyre repair shop on the way out of Mende i headed back to their sheltering point. These guys are really friendly and some make the effort to speak English but have over the years gone out of their way to help where they can. During the hour or so we were there they supplied me with sandwiches and water so that the time passed quickly enough and i was entertained with stories of their careers and other news surrounding events observed at the tour.

When i left shortly before them as the storm had passed i had over 120km to go to Rodex so whilst waiting for a lift they passed on the way to their hotel. The first lift was about 30km and dropped me in time for "El Diablo" to pull in to offer a lift and drop me close to Rodex , my destination. Whilst driving Didi also supplied refreshment and although he does not speak any english we muddle along with my deutsch vocabulary , suffice to say the time passed quickly.

On my way into the town of Rodex i realised there was a YHA nearby and stopped to speak with a gentleman whose wife then took me on a guided tour until we found the Hostel closed for this period, I wonder who pays their bills if they do not want to be filled by tour visitors? Yves wife took me into Rodex town centre and then decided to offer me accom for the night. These strangers had a flat attached to their residence which left me self contained but they also sat me down to dinner and breakfast with a menu that would be the envy of any that were staying in a 5 star hotel. Single Malt scotch was an unexpected surprise as an aperitif as i rarely treat myself like this at home , seems a waste to open a bottle for myself these days. As i continue to mention in my blog entries this is the best part of the Tours, finding people such as this family who invite "Complete Strangers into their homes and treat them as Family" and this is why i continue to make the effort to support "Disabled Sport"

After the tour i was in Belgium to recover my car then over to the UK to visit a variety of friends. Sundays are always with a Cycle club somewhere, and this time it was with "Seamons Cycle club " out of Altrincham who decided to head for the hills outside Macclesfield. Even going out there the chain started skidding through but on the climb whenever i put effort into a higher gear i got a bruised knee when the chain skidded through, on the flat it was holding on the 56 ,11 but 42,11 etc was the problem as there was not enough tension any more.

Well yesterday i made the change and after 2 "Giro, 2 "Tdf, 2 "dauphinee a lot of trainig kilometres i figure that the chain which came from a Team bike must have in excess of 15000km and likely 20k usuage. I clean the chain as often as i can and use "wd40" like products rather than oils which tend to collect road dust/dirt and soil upholstery when in a vehicle.

Shimano would recommend replacement about 5k but teams change much earlier but regardless i hope this blog confirms the excellence of "Dura ace Products" which i continue to enjoy. The new "Dura ace Chain" is not working well on the 42 ,11 but runs smoothly enough elsewhere so there are some adjustments needed before i get back to trouble free riding before the Vuelta.

GIRO 2009 part 1 of 3

As mentioned before the Big C touches all our lives, family and friends. Recently I was at my doctor for a checkup and whilst waiting for blood sampling in walked an Hawaiian mate who has settled in the Zillertal and works with “Lebenshilfe" (supervised homes) to collect a prescription. His news to me was that his mother had been taken ill and the supposedly light stroke was a very imminent terminal brain cancer In a few hours he was on the way to Munich and thence to Los Angeles, then to the family home. HE was hoping to arrive in time to farewell his mother who had decided to return home from hospital.

The photo is from @8WristBandman, Ken is currently undergoing intensive hospital care for cancer but still enjoys emailing and has been kind enough to forward photos and video relating to my adventures. Wish all were like him as there have been so many places visited and seen, and people met that deserve a permanent record. The photo was taken in Jesolo at the start of this past years Giro. I had not known the photo was taken until Ken forwarded it.

Over the years I have lost cousin JJ and his wife as well as my mother to cancer. Too many others such as “Apples “ the car dealer from Nth Sydney who I met up with again at Sydney 2000 have told me of their cancer concerns. Some I recommend Lance’s book to read as it helps validate a positive attitude. “she’ll be right mate “ does not cut the fear but a good read relieves the anxiety for a while at least. If anyone knows Apples and he hasn’t fallen off the perch have him make contact. My Sydney Olympic 2000 experiences will make an appearance at a later date as it was rich in detail.

Giro d’italia 2009 was a new experience for me as in past years there was no car nearby. It would continually cause me pain as I would abandon it to do etappes and then come back to relocate it time and again when I had no driver to help out. Of course in Rome it sat on the entry road to the team parking so that the racers all saw me sitting cooking the mid day meal. if they were allowed I am sure some would have enjoyed the fry up and they would have been welcome, as it was I collected a few caps and bidons handed to me amongst the joshing dished out.

Lance, Johann and many others drove past at that time and noted my arrangements but fortunately I was left in peace by the authorities. When I arrived it was a hot,sunny day but turned cloudy and at the end to rain. As I drove north that night I felt like I was driving in Sydney in a torrential storm .

Jesolo was a nice four day start to the Giro , after parking the car I took a loosening up ride scouting the hotels and then riding back into town found team Astana riding out, a quick U turn and I was up with them greeting and chatting for a few minutes before leaving them to up their tempo for the team time trial training. As I left them a mixed group of racers came along heading back into town and again pleasantries were exchanged but I did hear the occasional groan of “skippy, what did we do to deserve him today”!




In town I discovered that a “pink blowup rubber duck” was the local mascot so I collected a couple and over the next days I had several teams add their autographs and then gave it up for display at the tourist office and they were then to pass it to a local “Disabli group” for auction. I told a couple of wheelchair athletes of this so I hope they followed through and people were generous.

Sunday found me on the road after I introduced Angelo Z to my bike “Il Giro” at the depart ,greeted a lot of dignatories and VIPs from previous Giros and tours and then set out on a nice sunny day as some of the teams were driving or riding into the sign on. The day to Trieste passed well enough but the return trip turned into a disaster as the newly installed chain snapped open on the hill heading back. I was riding in a strong group at the time and we were going full bore, these were diletante standard riders and were “chain ganging superbly“. we were passing others without problem but it meant standing on the pedals to gain maximum traction uphill. Well the chain went and so did they, a couple of spectators before a helpful guy with the link tool but a kilo further and it was out again. As I was near the top I reconnected ran the few metres and rode the rest of the way with the loose connection, never exerting the power that I usually exert.

Next morning before the start I found a bike shop who changed the chain and guaranteed me that this was the end of the problem. Too right the bike has done giro, Suisse and tour since without a repeat. Typical of a profi he would take nothing from me but thanks wished me “Bouna Fortuna” and hoped to see me on Tv some more. The next days passed with early starts to position the car ride to the start hobnob with the media and personalities then ride the route and find a way back to the car without expending too much energy. A logistical nightmare but as hard as each day finished I was up the next morning ready to repeat.

Parking the car on Alpi di Suisi I set off and caught up with the Moser/Fondriest group but that was soon splintered and Moser and a few went away and I stayed with Maurizio and waited for some of his guests to reappear. After the finish I headed down the hill collected the car and drove back to the Zillertal over the Brenner. The reason was that the next stage went through the tunnel after Linz into Mittersell, a tunnel closed to bikes as I had been that way before and found hitching did not work this time I was not prepared the risk of a repeat.

Part 2 follows