Thursday, 15 June 2023
Alex writes: Today was mostly about taking a riverside cycleway along the Moselle, south to Nancy. An easier day on the flat for the humans (insofar as any day in these very warm temperatures is easy for us), but the tour is taking its toll on the bikes.
First, I noticed my front brake had lost a lot of its power, which is not what you want with mountains looming. An inspection revealed to my surprise that the pads were worn out: evidently Shimano's recently introduced L03A pads wear much faster than their predecessors.
John's panniers have deteriorated to the point where they are held together with tape, and he set the puncture tally running with a mystery sidewall puncture (or was it that tiny red thing which crumbled to the touch?)
Bill's chain has been chittering since Day 0, and he could not select bottom gear. A visit to a friendly bike shop in Metz got this fixed, and his shifting is once again oojah-cum-spiff.
So with various fixes applied our bikes seem ready for a challenging sequence of days ahead. But are their riders?
Word of the day: isthmus
>>> Next: Day 7 to Colmar