The short tale of a mega adventure into the unknown in the Pyrenees…

Although now what many would consider a proper geek, I’ve always been an engineer at heart, and I haven’t forgotten my times in mechanical engineering. Watching this video is for me a fantastic highlight about manufacturing processes, all applied to one of the greatest inventions ever: the bicycle.

That was filmed in 1945 apparently, 60 odd years ago. Judging by the amount of workers and machinery in this British factory, the bike was then clearly the most convenient way to get around.

The bicycle is a comfortable and cheap way of getting about. A great boon to man, ideal for shopping, easy to park. And if at work, a faithful friend, ever ready to take tired workers back home, and after work, to bring relaxation, health and happiness.

Thanks to @cyclr for sharing this one!

Last week I stupidly fell with my in the corridor at home. The new floor is some kind of plastic tilling that makes walking with cleats extremely slipper. Long story short: I fell ON my bike, with a backpack, and in the process bent and cracked the mech hanger on my Old Focus Variado 2007.

This is an old bike, and like with many old things, finding parts is close to impossible. The hanger reference I needed is SO46, but I couldn’t find it anywhere on-line, and even the manufacturer in US sent me back to Wheels Manufacturing Inc. to check if they could help me. Unfortunately, I had no luck anywhere.

Looking at several models on-line, I found a few close matches and ordered three, including one supposedly for Bianchi bikes that looked very close. Funny enough, it’s a Evans that I found what I needed, and the only one who had them in stock!

Replacement choice

None of the three were a perfect fit straight away. Both the Bianchi or the WMFG 41 needed their top to be milled to properly align the bolt hole with the frame, while the WMFG 42 “only” needed the ridge to be removed. While the Bianchi seemed overall a closer fit, it also seemed weaker than the other two, so I elected to take the ridge out of the WMFG42. I took about 10 minutes with a mini drill, a cutting disc and some milling heads, but it went on without much of a problem.

So if you have a bike that needs a hanger reference SO46, you can use a Wheels MFG #42 and remove the ridge. I’m posting this here because I know that if I break it again, I’ll have a place to look back for clues as to which one to get!

A bit of disc and milling action

As new! Well, almost.

I was bored last winter. Turbo trainer and treadmill didn’t cut it! This year I decided I’d go play in the mud, and with this lovely entry level Boardman, I should be able to do just this! I’m already registered to the HumanRace Off-road winter series, which will hopefully break the monotony of road triathlon training!

ready to "test"

first ride: done!

already dirty!