Bike hacks maker the world go round

Well done. What a feat.

New bottom bracket for my mtb
When looking for a bicycle frame I write a list of features it needs to have, features that would be nice to have and features that are a showstopper. Generally I prefer threaded bottom brackets (BB) over pressed-in bearings. Since the Commencal TEMPO delivered on most of my wants, I put the BB type in the nice-to-have section. As was the case, the Pressfit bearings creaked under load and I could even feel it through the pedals. Those were the first thing I checked, but I couldn't find anything wrong with them. The cranks were also solid. So here I am on a Sunday morning facing the consequences of my choices by installing a new BB.

This time I chose the Hope BB kit with a connecting tube between the bearing. First thing I did, was to put the bearings in the freezer. The cold should contract the bearing by a tiny bit and this would hopefully give me a smidge more tolerance when pressing in the bearings straight.
I pulled out the old bearings and cleaned the BB shell and I used a fine file to remove any burrs or some such from the metallic face of the shell.
Then I greased the seat for the bearings with PM600 military grease (the red stuff) to help with a smooth install. This heavy duty all-purpose grease is for high load & high temperature applications, with a exceptional adhesion & cohesion.
With my Cyclus bearing press I pushed the ice cold bearings into the BB shell until it made solid contact with the frame.
Underneath the bearing covers I put LiquiMoly Marine boat grease, which is specifically designed to resist exposure of water. I can't recommend this highly enough for places where you want to protect against ingress of water.
From there all that was left to do, was to install the cleaned and freshly lubed cranks and take the bike for a spin.

#bikebubble #fahrradbubble #fahrradschrauber #mountainbike #bikemaintenance #fahrradwartung

Knipex Pliers Wrench
One staple in my toolkit and tool roll are the versatile Knipex Pliers Wrenches. With their smooth parallel jaws they can replace every size of spanners - metric and imperial up to their capacity. The smaller wrench from my tool roll is merely 125mm long and can grip up to 25mm or 1" and the bigger one living in my toolbox can manage up to 35mm or 1 3/8". On modern bikes there are mostly bolts with inside hex, but there are still solid use cases for the wrenches:
🔸During the Rookie training of the MTB Club Konstanz I removed a basket off a bike which was fastened with nuts and bolts
🔸Trueing disc brake rotors
🔸Field repair of a dropper post
🔸Opening air chamber of a suspension fork
🔸Countering an end cap on a wheel hub when adjusting the play of the conical bearing
🔸Tightening a valve core
🔸Crimping end cap on shifting cable
🔸Pulling shifting cable tight before fasting it to the derailleur
🔸Pulling foreign objects from tyres
🔸Countering bladed spokes or tightening spoke nipples
🔸opening chain link
🔸 Removing/installing E-clip and safety pins on brake pads

#bikebubble #fahrradbubble #biketools #toolroll #toolkit #toolbox #knipex #pliers #wrench #bikerepair #werkzeug

I use an IGPsport IGS800 with 60h run time. For my 2h of daily commutes that means I need to charge it about every other month, which is good enough for me.

if you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything.

best saddle bag to ever been attached to a brooks saddle :)

That's an awesome frame colour and I like the magenta highlights

New saddle
I got a new saddle for my gravel bike. It's the Selle Italia SLR boost TM in size S3, which is the narrower option. This will replace the SQlab 611 ergowave active, which I (ab)used since 2013 on multiple bikes.

Why do I replace this saddle, which looks to be in good condition?
While the surface material doesn't show too much wear, the padding and plastic shell is mostly done for. Since 2013 I have used it for an estimated 70 000km give or take.
Also since I moved to a dropbar bike with a different body position than on flatbar bikes, the wide shell caused some chafing and irritations on the inside of my thighs.

Saddles are the most personal part of your bike as the majority of your body weight rests on it and it can make or break your rides. They have to suit your butt or rather seat bones, soft tissue, body position, thighs and Sitzfleisch - meaning what your butt is used to in terms of seating surface and padding. So hopefully we get along nicely for another 70 000km or so. The initial test ride was promising, but you really only can tell after a good couple of hundred kilometers.

#bikebubble #fahrradbubble #gravelbike #gravelbiking #newgear #newbikegear #mdrza #rideabike #roadbike #dropbar #lifebehindbars

[22.02.2025]
Dear deutsche Cycling- & Bikepacking-Community,

Fahrradfahren heißt Spaß, Abenteuer & Bewegung. Und es heißt immer auch, Privilegien nicht nur zu nutzen, sondern auch kritisch zu reflektieren und Verantwortung zu übernehmen.

Als Deutsche haben wir das Privileg, uns frei über Staatsgrenzen hinweg bewegen zu können. Das ist kein Glück, sondern das Ergebnis langer und gewaltvoller politischer Kämpfe.

Privilegien sind Privilegien, weil sie nicht für alle gelten - und, weil sie auch den Privilegierten jederzeit wieder entzogen werden können.

Viele von euch wissen, was es bedeutet, totalitäre Staaten und Diktaturen zu durchqueren. Entweder, weil ihr es selbst getan habt, oder weil Menschen euch auf ihren Social-Media-Kanälen mitgenommen und Zeugenschaft von ihren Reisen abgelegt haben.

Lasst euch nicht erpressbar machen, weil Social Media soziales und finanzielles Kapital verspricht. Nutzt die Reichweite, die ihr habt. Menschen wollen nicht nur die schönen Radsport- & Bikepacking-Seiten sehen. Sie wollen, dass wir authentisch aus unserem Leben berichten. Dass dieses Leben auch politisch ist, liegt in jeder einzelnen Grenze begründet, die wir je überquert haben oder überqueren könnten.

Politisch etwas in Bewegung zu bringen, ist ähnlich wie Fahrradfahren: Man setzt sich auf den Sattel und fährt einfach los. Alles Weitere ergibt sich auf dem Weg. Und für jedes Problem, das unterwegs auftritt, findet man eine Lösung - manchmal alleine, aber allermeistens gemeinsam.

Zeig jetzt und in Zukunft klare Kante gegen Rechts!

Keine Reifenbreite dem Faschismus 🛠️

Bildbeschreibung: Person in Fußgängerzone vor CDU-Infostand und Polizisten, hält Plakat in der Hand mit der Aufschrift „Das Einzige, was rechts sein sollte, ist deine Fahrradkette“

#niewiederistjetzt #niewieder #fckafd #demokratie #wahlen #cycling #bikepacking #travel #travelblogger #antifa #161

Cycle around the world
In 2024 Lael Wilcox set out to ride around the world and also establish a new Guiness World Record in doing so. In 108 days 12h she rode 29 169km, while also taking the time to meet people and have them join her ride part of the way. Her journey was documented by her partner Rue and you can watch the video on youtube:
https://youtu.be/foZSVhTyEfQ?feature=shared

#bikebubble #fahrradbubble #ridearoundtheworld #roadbike #worldrecord #laelwilcox #bikepacking #worldtour #bikeadventure

Good morning Lake Constance
After all the rainy mornings lately I got to experience a solid sunrise again. When I arrived at work the clouds darkened the sky so as one could think someone had turned back the clock to night time.

#bikecommute #rideabike #gravekbike #mdrza #bikebubble #fahrradbubble #bodensee #sonnenaufgang #sunrise #seeliebe

Happy World bicycle day
After being drenched during the morning commute, I managed to evade the same fate on my way home. Instead the sun came out between the clouds and there was also some blue skies.
#worldbicycleday #bikebubble #fahrradbubble #gravelbike #mdrza #weltfahrradtag #bodensee #lakeconstance

Local trails are legal
In the part of Germany where I live, riding a bike of paths less than 2m wide is prohibited (thanks to Schwabian Hiking Association).
It took us 3.5 years to wrangle permission from local authorities to legalise the trails in existence and being put in charge of maintaining the trails. On May 18th we had a grand opening event of the first fully rebuild trail.

#mtb #mtbbubble #mtbtrail #mountainbike #mountainbiking #konstanz #lakeconstance

After Work Ride with my colleagues
We revived last year's company MTB tours and set out on the trails on the Bodanrück. Three eMTB and two MTB riders, me among the latter, climbed 600m over 17,6km in close to two hours. There were stunning views over Lake Constance and into the Hegau, steep climbs, some waiting of ebikers for muscle powered bikers to catch their breath and a long and wild descent on the trail near Güttingen.
Afterwards we sat down for a (couple of) beer(s) and then I still had to pedal 25km back home.

#afterworkride #ridemtb #mtblife #lifebehindbars #bikebubble #fahrradbubble #mountainbike #emtb #bikeride #frauenberg #bodensee

Homeward
On the return trip my first train connection got canceled, but the didn't tell me so. Luckily I was up early and could catch the train 1h earlier.

From the train, I emailed in my stamped card to be listed as finisher on the website.

I very much enjoyed my solo bike adventure. The route was set, my accommodations booked and all I needed to do was pedal ahead at my own pace. I was never pressed for time.

Usually after arriving a the day's destination, I would check in, take a shower and wash my clothing. I tried to get most of the water out by compressing the clothing by hand and then put one item at a time flat onto a towel. Then I would roll the towel up and literally stand on the roll to press as much water out from the clothing into the towel and always starting with the bib, as the pad usually took the longest to dry up.

After hanging the clothing on hangers somewhere near an open window or on some occasions drape them over the radiator, I would either go shopping for food for the next day or go for dinner.
Most of the days I would go to bed soon after dinner to get a good amount of sleep and recovery for the next days.

About a week after the tour I received a finisher card (more like a coaster) with the north and south route marked and a tube scarf. From my understanding everyone who is listed as a finisher will receive this.

On top of that in November I got another package. Every year there is a raffle for all the finishers and apparently I was the lucky winner of a TBW shirt.

Let me point out that all of the information and service around the TBW is free. You don't have to commit to or pay for anything. If you are interested in this tour yourself check out the official website https://www.trans-bayerwald.de. There you can find any and all information regarding the TBW.

#cycling #mtbadventure #mtblife #transbayerwald #tbw #lifebehindbars #cyclingadventure #fahrradbubble #cyclingbubble #mtbtour

TBW S7 - the final leg of my Trans Bayerwald Tour 2024
I had a couple of kilometer of the S6 left to pedal, passing below Castle Ranfels and following alongside a little creek.
Most of this route felt like cycling through the Windows XP wallpaper. The biggest climb was not taxing at all, neither in length nor elevation. What really zapped my energy was the chunky and loose gravel on which the tyres were rolling very reluctantly.
Out in the open fields it was very windy and mostly a head wind to boot.
In Passau the S7 ended at the Veste Oberhaus, with a great view over Passau and where the greenish river Inn flows into the river Danube.
For me the round trip concluded with the crossing of the Schanzbridge, since I didn't start at the Veste.

I started out on the first of May and cycled in 7 stages to Furth im Wald following the north route. After a day of rest the south route brought me back to Passau, also in 7 days. All in all I cycled 757km and 17 800m vertical (detours and wrong turns included). I'm really proud of myself for this accomplishment, a little bit sad that this adventure came to an end and also happy to return home on the next day.

If you are interested in this tour yourself check out the official website https://www.trans-bayerwald.de. There you can find any and all information regarding the TBW.

#cycling #mtbadventure #mtblife #transbayerwald #tbw #lifebehindbars #cyclingadventure #fahrradbubble #cyclingbubble #mtbtour

TBW S6 - the 6th leg of my Trans Bayerwald Tour 2024
The second to last segment of the TBW from Bischofmais to Eging am See. The little Hailstorm from yesterday seem to have continued over this piece of trail, as there were numerous puddles, trickles and creek crossings along the way. Then again the sights from view points were clear and far.

At the Unterer Daxstein the way was so bogged and agitated by a 4x4, that the soil was almost liquid and stuck like glue to my tyres. When the rear wheel would turn anymore, I scraped the mud off by hand. By the next full revolution the tyres was again covered all over. Luckily the route diverted from this bog onto a more solid terrain.
Still a lot of the trails were either imprinted by the rough treading of tractor tyres or knee deep furrowed, one could only ride on the small crest in between.

The highest point of the tour after a 12km long climb was the radio tower on top of the Brotjacklriegel, which I could already see from the valley below.

By the end of the day I had cycled 700km since the 1st of May and accumulated 17 000m vertical. My legs still felt heavy from the long climbs of the day before. So not completing the full distance of the S6 was a good decision and it extended the otherwise very short last segment of the tour.

If you are interested in this tour yourself check out the official website https://www.trans-bayerwald.de. There you can find any and all information regarding the TBW.

#cycling #mtbadventure #mtblife #transbayerwald #tbw #lifebehindbars #cyclingadventure #fahrradbubble #cyclingbubble #mtbtour

TBW S5 - the 5th leg of the south route of the Trans Bayerwald Tour 2024

In the morning I swapped the battery on the derailleur, which up that point was good for over 6500 gear changes and 64h of riding time and it still had some juice left.
From the hotel I climbed up to the route and from there continued the uphill. so for the "warm-up" I had pedalled 240m vertical on 4,7km.
This would be a long day so I took every opportunity to top off my water.
The route consisted of long climbs or descents and not much else in between.
At Grafling the ascent to the Geißkopf was on and took my up 750m over 13km. Most annoying were the midges, which were constantly in my face.
Between the Dreitannenriegel and the Geißkopf there was a sudden thunderclap followed by a heavy 10min long hailstorm.
Officially the route would lead you over the service roads down from the Geißkopf. Instead I took the Flow Country Trail down. After 1900m of climbing in the legs, with bar bag and saddle bag, I would chance a more challenging trail.
From the parking lot of the bike park I still had some kilometers to pedal and ultimately had 65km and over 2000m vertical (new personal best) in almost 8h recorded on my Garmin.
If you are interested in this tour yourself check out the official website https://www.trans-bayerwald.de. There you can find any and all information regarding the TBW.

#cycling #mtbadventure #mtblife #transbayerwald #tbw #lifebehindbars #cyclingadventure #fahrradbubble #cyclingbubble #mtbtour #bikepark #geisskopf

TBW S4 - the 4th leg of the south route of the Trans Bayerwald Tour 2024
On paper this segment didn't sound so bad: merely 45km and 1500m of climbing and indeed it started out very tame.
There was even a historic segment, the "Bierweg" (beer route). I remember thinking: "It can't be too steep, if horses pulled carts laden with beer barrels up there." Wrong. Easiest gear, heart rate at 190bpm, head nearly exploding and then an e-bike zips past me in the 4th or 5th gear.
The last ascent covered 750m vertical in 13,5km and there were some descents in the mix. Finally in St. Englemar I had to roll downhill to get to the hotel. For the next day I would have to climb 120m to even get to the point, where the route continues. With the 1950m vertical for the S5, I will exceed 2000m of climbing.
If you are interested in this tour yourself check out the official website https://www.trans-bayerwald.de. There you can find any and all information regarding the TBW.

#cycling #mtbadventure #mtblife #transbayerwald #tbw #lifebehindbars #cyclingadventure #fahrradbubble #cyclingbubble #mtbtour