More bike news. In July I rode to the Isle of Wight, or at least most of the way. Link.
Close to Portsmouth I was knocked off by an inconsiderate, impatient, stupid driver. In January I finally got a payout from her insurance. It wasn't the full amount I should have received, but that was because the police wouldn't prosecute for due care and attention. It seems unless there is video evidence they don't bother. I wonder if they use the same logic for other wrongdoing; I doubt it.
The levers were functional but damaged. I also replaced the cranks. The later were okay but I was sourcing the parts from ebay and had a little money left to pay for them. I also didn't replace all of the clothing to save a bit more.
Why did I replace the cranks? I wanted a shorter set; since I broke my hip it hurts occasionally on longer rides and when I use the dropped part of the handlebars for an extended period. Both symptoms suggest there is a slight restriction to the range of movement; this change should help. And they have a power meter built in. This isn't really necessary, but I thought; why not? It would be interesting to see how much power I produce and if I improve as the year progresses.
The saddle had started to fray and I think it's a bit too narrow. The replacement is wider, shorter, supposedly 3D printed and carbon fibre in its construction. I say supposedly because it comes from China via Aliexpress so you never really know. I could be doing the supplier as disservice. Maybe the only way it could have been produced would be by this method.
The mountain bike has had one for a while, and it does feel better than the previous perch. Including a replacement carbon seat post it also shaved off an extra 200 grams. The Kona is now well under 13kg, a massive improvement. Link.
The bar tape needed to be replaced, I went from black as it had been to orange to complement my Kona.
