New Years repairs and upgrades

I returned to Bristol after Xmas eager to get out on my bike again, having heard the Yer Tis trail had opened in Leigh Woods. However I’d got a new cassette which I wanted to fit and my rear brake pads desperately needed replacing, so before I could do any riding I had to sort that out.

I started by getting new cartridges for my V-brakes removing the shoes from the brakes and replacing the pads, re attaching them to the brakes and adjusting the cable. After this I took the back wheel off, loosened the cassette using a freewheel remover, having unscrewed the old cassette I replaced it with the new much larger cassette. A quick and easy job if you have the right tools though re aligning the gears is always a fiddly job.

Having done this I took my bike out eager to try the new trail and generally get out for a ride. I made it about 30 meters before turning to go up a hill towards the trails when my chain snapped and I hit the floor pretty hard, fortunately I was wearing my pads and my new Royal Race trousers which meant I only ended up with a grazed shoulder and a few large bruises despite the heavy impact on the tarmac. I had known the chain was too short but thought I’d get away with it for one ride, I was really quite wrong.

A couple of days later I replaced the chain and managed to get out, though this time the chain was a bit long for the smallest cogs but still rideable with only a few slipped gears, the difference in the ride was amazing, it meant I had to change gear more often and think more about what I was doing but meant I could keep the power on in places where I’d previously struggled to maintain momentum. Unfortunatly after 2 hours of riding I found my shoulder had been hurt more than I’d initially thought and was forced to head home a little earlier than I’d planned.

Since that initial successful ride I’ve been to Leigh Woods a few more times and am very impressed  with the trail there and the skills course and am looking forward to the short downhill section at the end. I’ve also been back to Cwm Carn but I’ll write more of those in the future.

In team news the Athertons have finally officially announced their switch to GT to join fellow Brit Marc Beaumont, it should be an interesting season, I can’t wait for it to start.