3 SPEED TO 10 SPEED

I've agreed to use my bike to get around London in the event of 'gridlocked' traffic during the Olympic Games starting on Wednesday 25th July as the Olympic Lanes come into force. I'll have my kit in two Ortlieb paniers and the camera in a rucksack (I'm a news cameraman with ITN).

I've changed from 3 hub gears to 10 speed Tiagra to cope with the extra weight of the kit and any hills.

The newly launched Tiagra 10 speed shifting is excellent, very slick and precise and the bike feels a bit racier than it did before.

EVERY GRAM COUNTS?

I've replaced my Ribble's Campag Athena groupset with SRAM Red (bought second hand but in great condition with a Force Cassette for a price that I couldn't resist). This, along with changing the wheels to Zondas has reduced the weight of the Sportive Bianco to 7.52 Kgs. I think the weight difference between SRAM Red and Athena is about 185g. Much as I'm a fan of Campagnolo, the SRAM Red goups is excellent.

The ProVibe seatpost has also helped a little, as has replacing the supplied saddle with a Fizzik Aliante, although the latter change was more to do with comfort than weight saving. Again, the original seatpost was only replaced because the original was a bit bit rubbish and there was an irresistable discount on offer.

A big brand bike with decent wheels and weighing around 7.5Kgs (for a Large) is normally going to cost around £2200-£3000 + so I think I'm doing quite well with the Ribble. It may not be the choice of the bike snob but there's little wrong with it that I can see.
Now if only I could get it to shift into the big ring a bit better....

[Update: Will swap Red front derailleur for a Dura Ace one after advice received. Shifting between the front chainrings is vital to me (I had a nasty crash once when the chain fell off when I was out of the saddle). Using this drive train calculator I can see it's compatible]
Will post once the Dura Ace mech is fitted and tried out.

[Latest: The Dura Ace front mech helped a bit but I decided to change the bike to one with an electronic groupset to help with the front shifting - see later posts.
Top tip: I made much more by selling the frame and groupset separately, than I would have selling the bike as a complete unit.]

FINISH BIKE HERO (IN SWEDEN)

 

When Johan Swanljung decided to get rid of the family car he bought one of these cargo bikes for the unavoidable trips to the shops and dropping the kids off at parties and the like. 

But the day I met him he'd just cycled 120Kms from his home in Stockholm to the coast near Norrtälje with his 18 month old toddler in the front. He set off at 0830 and arrived at 1530 with a stop for lunch. His boy loved the journey and had several naps along the way. 

The bike has an 8 speed Nexus hub and weighs about 40Kgs. Johan enjoys riding it but says going round tight corners can be a bit of a nightmare. He commutes to work every day (not on this!) and since buying the cargo bike has sold his Cannondale road bike, as it wasn't getting enough use since starting a family. 
Schwalbe's Marathon Plus tyres take the worry out of long rides when a puncture could seriously spoil your day.



In Stockholm and other Swedish towns cyclists are well looked after with an abundance of well marked and protected cycle lanes. 
It seems everyone uses town bike and very few people wear helmets.

Everything about this classic Crescent in orange says 'town bike',  but what's with the world champion stripes? Along with the Peugeot checks they do give the bike a more racy feel.

Steel frame, mudguards, rack, hub gears, dynamo lights, back pedal brakes, comfy saddle, bike stand, chain protector? Yes, it's a northern European town bike.

The pink bike is an 'army' bike. Apparently the military used these for many years and they continue to be made (despite the shrinking of the Swedish military capacity) because they're so popular with the general population.

A Crescent ladies bike with basket and well sprung saddle. Great handlebars and unusually, single speed.

This Monark has the ubiquitous bike rack with a spring loaded holder on the back. And I'm fairly sure I didn't see a bike without a bike stand.

A Monark 'Original'. Monark are one of the best known Swedish bike brands.

I wasn't sure about these town bikes until a had a few spins on this Albert Samuelsson & Co bike made in Skeppsmuly back in the seventies. They're designed for getting from A to B in comfort rather than at speed and do the job very well. So there's another type of bike I've found I need. What excuse I can use for buying one I'm less sure.

A DBS bike. DBS apparently stands for 'Death Behind the Steerer'. I love the Swedes' sense of humour.