TRAVERS BIKES.COM - Journal

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Team Kit sale

21/9/2023

Stock clearance of Travers team kit up to 80% off
Hoodie - S - x1
T-Shirts Orange - M - x2 Black - M - x2
Socks EU37-39 - x2 EU43-46 - x3
Bib Shorts Small - x1 Large - x2
Gillet Medium - x1
Jersey (male) Large - x1
Jersey (female) XS = x1 Large - x1

Chain tools

31/8/2023

Having the right tools foor the job not only makes your life easier but also saves you money.
Check out the range.
The Power Lever Pro is ideal for trail side repairs, having a power link ready when you snap a chain is great but without the tools its not much use. Being able to split and remove damaged links could save your ride.

We also have a range of workshop tools, a bit more substantial and user friendly.

Helmet Sale!!!!

21/8/2023

All helmets at least 50% off RRP

I have a selection of O'Neil and Alpina helmets all with at least 50% of RRP.
The kids helmets are all "pay what you want" there is a minimum cost to cover my expenses, if you can afford more, please pay more but if you can't then I would much rather they were out riding safely.
More helmets style and sizes will be added daily.

GB Divide 2023

11/8/2023

I have rewritten this bit so many times!
So I am just going to chuck some bullet points down:

Day 1

Just cruising, felt really good, holding my legs back, was mainly riding in 4/5th but was as high as 3rd.
Really windy, switching from bright sun shine to heavy rain all day.
Hit a massive hidden pot hole in a puddle (which would lead to me scratching).
Noticed the tyre had gone down at first stop for food 155km in and sealant had kept tyre from going flat.
Just before the start of the South Downs way stopped to pump up the tire and it seemed to hold okay.
Going onto the SDW gust of wind blew my glasses off, I tried to catch them fell on the bike, full weight on handlebars, snapped by the brake lever (half way through).
Continued riding until it got dark but didn’t feel comfortable with broken bars.

Day 2
Slept for 8 hours was in no rush to get up and ride with broken bars.
Decided to ride on and find repairs further up the trail.
Felt sick all morning, stopped a number of times and just sat waiting for sickness to pass.
Bars were okay on the uphills but the cracking sound from the carbon was very disconcerting on the downhills.
Rear tyre started to go down every hour or so, decided to put tube in but punctured straight away.
Couldn’t find any issue with the tyre, sealant was all gone now, ran out of inner tubes.
Rider stopped to offer help (not in the GBD) I bought a 29er tube off him for my 650b 47mm wheel!
Put it in stayed up for a bit, than stopped for a burger at a van and bought a 700x50mm tube off another random rider.
Pump up rear tyre, repeat every 20 mins.
Bumped into James from Squirt, he gave me a packet of sealant. Seemed to do the job.
Gears started playing up, going out of index, left James and decided to head 8 miles off course to Chichester for repairs.
Arrived in Chichester, shops all closed, booked into Park hotels, decided on a plan for day 3 reset and push on.

Day 3
Been stopped for over 14 hours already and went in search of bike repairs.
Halfords didn’t have any bars at all, tyre holding pressure and seems fixed, headed to 99 Bikes.
99 Bikes were amazing, had just 1 set of bars in stock, narrow but went with them anyway to get back under way.
Left my bike to be sorted, went into town to eat sausage rolls and get my phone dried out, talk to statue and buy some more reading glasses I had some how lost!
Returned to 99 bikes, bike almost finished, great service, repacked my bike, hit the trails again at 12:30.
Long 8 mile climb back to meet the trail (where I left) Felt amazing, chatted to man picking berries (he gave me some).
Joined the trail at Cadence cafe and straight into a brutal off road climb, really feeling good. Tyre starts going flat by the top!
The tyre continued to go flat at increasingly short intervals starting around every 30 mins to every 5 minutes by the end.
Got to Winchester its now after hours all the shops were closed. 55km to CP1…I can push on and make it.
No I can’t! Its now getting dark, either I camp or…stuff the tyre with grass.
I start stuffing the tyre with grass, trickier than I thought, what is the correct grass to volume pressure for a 47mm tyre?
Whatever it is I couldn’t get enough in to make it ridable and still get the tyre back on.
Its now dark and nowhere suitable to camp, I walk down into the nearest town to see what my options are.
There was nothing there, post office that was closed, its now 23:00 and I am mentally tired.
Decided to continue on the route but now walking to a possible bike shop 5 miles further along.
At a junction I stopped to let a car go through, the window winds down, questioning me as to what I was doing.
I explained, he thought I was mad, he son also cycled, so offer me a lift, I didn’t need asking twice.
And that’s it I scratched, I tried to take my front wheel out to get it in the car but couldn’t figure it out! I was trying to undo the wrong side, my brain was frazzled from all the constant issues.

Conclusion

I met so many great people who helped me along the way, although things didn't go to plan, I would do it again tomorrow.
Now I am back the mechanical issue are quite easy to solve with the right equipement. The tyre had 4 punctures, 2 the sealant had sealed, and 2 smaller holes either side of the tyre at the point of impact near the rim (which the sealant didn't reach). Its just one of those things, I will carry more sealant next time.
The handlebars, I have had a few comments about them being carbon, yes they were. I think if they were aluminium they would have just broken but the bars held on (and never completly broke) for another 110km on the South Down way. Yes I took it easier than if there were not broken but still they did an amazing job.
The gear problem from the end of day 2 turns out to be the B screw because I took the rear wheel off so many times it allowed the B screw to wind out which brought the top jockey wheel too close to the cassette. Again easy fix on a bike stand but not something obvious on th etrail when you are tired.

Travers RUSSTi EVO frameset

31/7/2023

Travers RUSSTi EVO frameset, which includes EVO frame (S,M or L from stock), Travers EVO Prong XC (Matte or Gloss, with or without triple forks leg mounts), Wheels MFG T47 BB (either 30mm or 24mm) and Fenwicks copper grease £2199

This is valid now (from 31/07/23) until I finish the GB Divide (whenever that might be)

Cassettes in stock

26/7/2023

We have chains from Shimano, SRAM and KMC original or waxed ready to go also cassettes in stock from Garbaruk, Shimano, e*thirteen and Sunrace all the way from 8,9,10,11 and 12 speed in XD, Shimano standard and micro spline.

Garbaruk - stock clearance

25/7/2023

Garbaruk stock items to clear - 25% off

SRAM AXS Direct Mount Road/CX Oval - Blue 44t (+£63.90)
Easton Cinch Direct Road/CX Oval - Orange - 36t (+£63.19)
107 BCD SRAM AXS Oval - Black - 42t (+£51.97)
82 BCD FSA Oval - Black - 34t (+£41.58)

Out of Office - GB Divide

25/7/2023

I will be away riding in the Great British Divide from the 4th August for approx 15 days. Please beaware I obviously won't be answering emails or shipping items during this period. I have all kLite products in stock and many Garbaruk cassettes/chainrings ready to ship along with Travers frames, XC Prong forks and Chains waxed by Silca etc, so get your orders in now!

Why wax your bike chain?

19/7/2023

Brain fart of points why to wax your chain - wax Products

A drip or wet lube coats all of your chain (inside and out) everytime you pedal the chain is under tension, squeezes the lube out from inside, gets covered in dirt, then gets sucked back into the internals of the chain with the dirt to create a grinding paste.
A wax lube is solid and stay inside the chain creating a barrier to stop dirt getting in, as you pedal under tension the wax becomes polished and creates a very low friction running surface.
All my cycling life I presumed you lubed your chain to coat the surface between the chain and cassette/chainrings to lower the wear and friction caused by them rubbing together.
This is not the case, the wear/friction comes from inside the chain, where the chain bends and winds its way through the drive train. The internal roller bearings in the chain is the only place you need the lubrication.
What about wet weather? its easy to just slap on some wet lube!
True but if you start with the wax chained it will prevent water dirt getting in, if its that extreme then any lube is better than nothing so, use whatever you have on you then when you return home reset your chain again back to new with wax.
Sounds like a lot of hassle!
It does but it isnt, like anything you just neeed to have a routine and follow these simple steps

Has it been a dry ride? Yes, wipe down with a dry lint free cloth (done, finished), No, see continue with point 2
Remove the chain via the quick link, wash your bike and replace with chain number 2, best practise is to have 2 chain in rotation (it will save you lots of money long term)
Wipe the chain down and pop it in either a slow cooker with the Silca wax in or a pot of hot water with the silca wax bag in (put the chain side the bag). Leave until the wax melts, take the chain out fater a quick swish and a few minuites to rest in the wax (you can easily make a hanger out of an old spoke to thread the chain onto to allow for easy removal) See picture above.
Allow to drip and cool over the wax pot or bag. Put the chain to one side, its done.
Before putting the chain on either run the chain through your hands or over a rounded wooden or plastic surface (bike stands are good for this) to break off any loose wax.
The chain will take around 20 minutes to reach optimum performance.

If the chain is really muddy, put the chain in a bowl and pour hot water over it, this will remove all of the dirt and old wax ready for a fresh coating.
Quick tip...put a nail/screw in the wall (in the shed or garage not in the living room!) above the pot to allow the chain to drip and cool hands free while you take a shower.

Lake and O'Neil Helmets and shoes added to ebay store

1/7/2023

I have added Lake shoes, MTB, Road and Gravel and winter boots.
O'Neil and Alpina helmets to our ebay store.

These are various sizes and designs...grab a bargain, more being added over the next couple of days.