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I hopefully pick the wheel up tomorrow, then we're off to catch the European Bike Express on Friday, and wake up in Montpellier Saturday morning.
I'm so pleased, good job I didn't miss that detail! (Thought I'd missed that hadn't you).
Will get in touch with Rad Bikes (new wheel for £25 + spokes is a bargain) and see what they can do. Might just get Spa to build it as they already have the rim and P&P will presumably be ££.
This is set 3 for us and we've neither had it as long nor ridden as far as you guys! In fairness to our communal expensive habit, that includes the originals (bent axles and all) and a move onto a dynamo front (went 36h, will let everyone know if I eat tarmac or not!).Hadn't heard of the European Bike Express before, great that they take tandems. Will be suggesting that for next year's summer holiday!
hamrack-
No-one I've mentioned it to has heard of it either, but @tricitybendix assures me it's been running forever. One of those hidden old-school gems :) We've done enough of all the bits rideable in two weeks from London so it's nice to cut out the same-old and see something new without having to work out how to get the bike on a train/plane. Will report back once we emerge at the other end of it all!
6pt
This is still the Dawes. Just going with it - from memory I think the Sputnik is only .5mm wider external than the 719 that's on there at the moment so it shouldn't be noticeable once I've worn the (new) pads down a bit (which shouldn't take too long in the alps :)
The sputnik wasn't particularly heavily researched, I think I found one particularly glowing blog write-up and that was enough for me. It was more a good price (£25!) for what looks like a solid construction and 40h was easily available (from spa cycles). This year seems to have gone from having 'loads of time to prep' to 'no time at all to prep, throw money at things and hope everything turns out ok' very quickly. The tandem is looking blingy with its new Dura Ace headset though, so there's that.
I hopefully pick the wheel up tomorrow, then we're off to catch the European Bike Express on Friday, and wake up in Montpellier Saturday morning.
As an aside, the sputnik marks the beginning of the fifth set of wheels for this bike in my time of ownership!
(The original knackered wheels, first set of 36h deore/319s that lasted one tour, warrantyed to a second set of 319s for second tour, which stood up better but we killed the rear after shifting the chain into the spokes, then the 40h orbit/719s, and now this rigida/son on the front.)
Tandemming is a silly habit.