2012 Tour de Europe .................. and so the planning begins.

Well folks, thought I would let you into my 2012 Tour de Europe Plan.

As some of you may or may not know, next year I will be clocking up the half century, the Big 50!   

To celebrate the fact I've lasted so long I am planning on riding a loop of Europe taking in 25 countries, covering 8000 miles and having a very plesant 2 - 3 week ride at the same time.
At the minute it is all at the planning stage but I thought I would give you all the heads up.

Here's the proposed route, but as with all good plans things will no doubt change over the coming months.

I'll keep you posted as things progress  

Trinity August Update........... Sadly, not a lot to say mind!

Well after a very nice two week break in Spain I thought it about time I started pulling the parts of Trinity back together again.

Trinity is still in Johns workshop at Kawasaki Rossendale and I am awaiting a call now to go and collect her.

The "Tank" sager runs on and on and on. Having had yet another protracted conversation with "Daz" this morning who informed me that the same issue has re-occurred! The bubbles are back and in the same places, if not quite so large! Personaly I find this simply unbelievable. The next step is for Darren to find a vinyl graphics specialist who they hope will be able to reproduce the same colours as a stick on graphic, again something I paid extra not to have, or I thought I did! It has now been 8 months since I took the fairings on the 27th of January to Dream Machine. I am sadly disappointed with their service, no mater what the outcome of the tank. 8 months is far too long to be waiting for a respray, even if I am in no great rush to complete Trinitty.

I also dropped Adam an email to check progress of the carbon parts. As he is in the USA I will no doubt recieve an answer later in the week. Finger crossed it will be more good news.

To finish on a high note, I had a fantastic conversation with a gentelman who will remain namless (untill I have his permission to publish it) about producing a quality exhaust for Trinity. Further details will follow in due course.

So folks all in all, not the best of ring round days but as they say, "All good things come to those that wait!"

Fitting Metal Mule Panniers to Mr T

Well after the bike falling over in France and the original lower pannier bracket not withstanding the fall I have chosen to fit the Metal Mule Panniers I bought to sell on.

The rack arrived well packed with a thick plastic coating holding the metalwork in place and the box filled with scrunched up card. What made it better was it arrived within 3 days of ordering on line. This combined with an article appearing in the MCN last week I knew I had made the right decision to fit them.

The box contains :-

1. Two metal frames
2. One cross member
3. Four aluminium spacers
4. Alan bolts, washers, nuts, bolts and plastic nut covers
5. Clear and detailed fitting instructions

I liked the way the cross member, spacers and

fixings are all in a  plastic wrap.

First job remove original panniers.

There are two original brackets which are very flimsy. 

Tools required for removal of original brackets and fitting the Metal Mule pannier rack. 

1. 6mm Tamper Alan key - I borrowed one from the guys at All Bikes of Rochdale
2. 8mm Alan key
3. 6mm Alan key
4. 5mm Alan key
5. 13mm spanner x2
6. 10mm socket

Remove the heat shield using the 10mm socket for the top nut and the 5mm Alan key for the two retaining bolts.

Have the frame ready to offer up to the bike.

Remove the original lower pannier bracket but leave the steigthening bar in place

(Note - if you do not already have original panniers fitted you will be required to purchas this)

Replace the black alan bolt but leave the lower whole free.

Remove original upper pannier bracket complete with hand grip

using 6mm alan key and 6mm tamper alan key.

Repeat on other side.

This is what you will have

Re-fit in exactly the same order but replace upper bracket

with supplied Metal Mule Rack, 8mm alan bolts and spacers.

1.  Hand guard
2. Washer, shaped washer goes to the front
3. Original spacers, the original spacers are two different lengths. Replace these with Metal Mule spacers of same length
4. Upper pannier bracket
5. Washers
6. Alan bolts one standard rear one is a tamper proof bolt requiring correct alan key

Re-fit the rear foot peg followed by the heat shield.

Attach Metal Mule Rack loosly on the 8mm black alan bolts at the top

in the same order as removed but using the supplied aluminium spacers

and 6mm alan bolts at the bottom.

Attach cross memeber using 13mm nut and bolts

slide on black plast caps.

Repeat on the other side then tighten all fittings.

I double checked to see alignment was correct.

Finally attach the panniers

Very nice thank you very much.

Best bit of all I have gone from this!

To this.............. loads of space

and on both sides too!

I just need to get the Top-box rack sorted now.

All I can say is fitting the rack was an absolute breeze.

Well done to the folks at Metal Mule for producing a great peice of kit.

I wish all my "farkles" went so well.