Category Archives: Trip Preparation

Trigger:  This old broom’s had 17 new heads and 14 new handles in its time.
Sid: How the hell can it be the same bloody broom then?

Only Fools & Horses – Heroes & Villains (1996)

After 11,500km of abuse we thought it would be prudent to replace a few bits and pieces on the Pino before setting off again.  So John (at JD Tandems) and Keith spent today stripping her down and rebuiling her.

Keith & John working on the Pino

It’s like having a new bike.  Literally!  The frame had cracked and been re-welded in Ukraine last year, so the first thing we did was to replace the frame (under warranty).

New hub on left, old hub on right … check out the splines and the spoke-holes!

Then John discovered the rear hub was rapidly approaching the end of its life.  In addition the crankset was bent, the drive-chain, rings and cassette badly in need of replacement, the link-chain was worn, the brake rotors were long past their recommended wear limit, the gear shifters had had it…..the list went on.

Tamar’s seat pad had been in need of replacement for some time

So, whilst we are ostensibly still riding the same bike we set off on last year, the only items that have been there from the start are the saddle, seatpost, pedals, boom & stoker cranks, brake-levers, front wheel, handlebars, stoker seatframe, racks, stand and mudguards.

But it’s still the same beloved Pino in our hearts (a sentiment we think Trigger would approve of).

We were supposed to be on the road by now.  Our Russian visas have arrived.  The new tent has arrived.  A new stove has been bought.  Bike parts were ordered weeks ago … but a catalogue of c*ck-ups means we are still stuck in (beautiful but wet) Derbyshire waiting for a left-hand crank.  NOT a left-hand HAND-crank, just a straight forward left-hand crank.  Sigh.

Still, since today is the only dry day so far this week, we are taking some consolation from the fact that we haven’t spent a week pedalling in the rain.  It is a small consolation though.