More than a month

Yes, it’s been more than a month since the last post.  Not that I’ve been idle.  Rather, I’ve been very busy with outstanding projects.   Let me explain.

We took advantage of the West Australian State Government $400 grant to install a security system.  I didn’t want to pay for off-site data storage and eventually opted for a system by Eufy.  We bought their storage hub, external camera and video doorbell.

The Hub sits on a shelf under the coffee table beside my chair.  It’s linked to the cameras and our home network.  The Hub comes with 16GB of storage but a hard drive can be installed in it should more storage be desired.  I have it configured to provide an audible warning when either the external camera or doorbell camera detects motion.

The Hub

 

The doorbell has two cameras.  One looks towards the approach to the door and the other at the base of the front door where a parcel might be left.  It has a speaker and mic allowing us to communicate without opening the door.  Actually we could be advised there was someone at the door our mobile phone if we weren’t at home.

I’ve mounted the external camera in a box on a pole against our boundary fence where it has an uninterrupted view of the front of the house and the street.

Whilst watching a You Tube video of two men crossing the remote Anne Beadell Track (something I want to do) I noticed their trailer was the same make and model as ours.   Later in the video they showed how a wheel had come off the trailer when a wheel bearing failed.  They didn’t have a replacement bearing and had to abandon their trailer in the desert.

I realised I also didn’t have a spare wheel bearing!

The prudent thing to do would be to buy one before my next trip.  But what size were the Chinese bearing?   I’d need to remove one set and measure them.

Tarzan must have tightened the wheel nuts because removing them was a challenge.  Thanks eldest grandson!

I don’t have any fancy tools to remove wheel bearings but I do know your shouldn’t punch a bearing shell out using steel against steel.  The cost of a bronze or brass punch seemed excessive so I ordered a 250mm length of brass rod from eBay.

The rod enabled me to remove the bearings and measure them.  They are standard Ford trailer bearings. 

I bought one set for the side I had removed.  Greased the new bearings and reassembled the wheel hub.  The old bearings will be my spare set.

Jan ordered some new kitchen knives.  German and apparently high quality.  Not wanting to throw them in a kitchen drawer where they would rather rapidly get blunt she asked about a knife block.

I rummaged around in the shed and garage looking for suitable timber offcuts.  Some pine that previously been repurposed twice and some Jarrah left over from the display cabinet.  There was also some Australian Ash and Spotted Gum.

I bought some water resistant food grade wood glue and started cutting, planning, gluing, cutting, planning, gluing, etc

Jan was asked which face on the block she wanted to the front.  This enabled me to cut a bevel on the top.  There was enough left over to make a second block.

I started thinking about selling the Kipor generator.  It’s been run once in the last six years which is a good indication it’s not needed.

The first thing to tart up was the pull cord hole which has been torn.  I glued a large washer on one side and added more adhesive to the rear.

There exterior was given a thorough clean and then I started it.  Except it starts on the first pull and promptly dies.  I think it has a carb issue.

The project has gone to the bottom of the list.

The repaired Shimano Alfine hub was installed back in the wheel rim and then fitted to my bike.  The gear return spring wasn’t working.  Bugger!

The hub would have to be disassembled.

I’ve never disassembled the hub to this depth.  Eventually I discovered the gear return spring was in the axle which is the final part of the disassembled hub.  Then the hub went “sprong” and components ricocheted all over the workshop.

Double Bugger!

After scrambling around the workshop benches and floor for several hours I think I have all the components.  However disassembling the hub doesn’t form part of the Alfine Workshop Manual.  I appear to have a jigsaw puzzle with no picture.   Another slow project.

My friend Ken, gave me a 36V lithium battery he had obtained.  A check of the voltage suggested it was either flat or had an issue.  The number of external pins suggested the battery required an external Battery Management System (BMS).

It’s off an e-scooter

I decided to pull it apart.  Easier said than done as the retaining screws had a unique head.  I had to drill off the screw heads to open the case.

This is where I discovered the steel outer case contained an inner plastic case

And the battery cells were then encased in a rubber compound.  It’s actually well made but a right bastard to disassemble.

Underneath all that rubber I found a BMS.

Eventually I got it down to the cells .  At this point I moved on to the next project.

The Swimming Pool

We’ve been having problems with the pool for most of this year.  Unfortunately for us the pool equipment manufacturer no longer has a retailer or distributor in the State. 

Our pool problem became worse after the new patio was extended over it.  Swarf (small pieces of steel) from the construction made their way into the pool despite us laying a protective cover over it.  The swarf has now rusted and embedded itself into the walls and floor of the pool.

Whilst we wait to have the pool equipment problem diagnosed I decided to drain the pool and remove all the rust.

Searching for a method to drain the pool I settled on the outback camper trailer 12V shower pump.   It took two days but eventually the pool was empty.

 

Rust Spots

Once the water level was below my nether regions I jumped into the pool and started grinding.

My technique was to use a small wire brush in the portable drill.

Three days (my back confirms that) later the work was complete and I could start refilling the pool.

Are you getting bored with all this???

I’ve made a start on our eldest grandson’s yacht autopilot system.  There have been too many issues to write about at this time (the post is getting too long!)  However I did solve a problem with the 7” touch screen monitor which was purchased from Aliexpress.

It didn’t work.  After careful examination I came to the conclusion the likely fault was the ribbon cable on the back.  It didn’t appear to be correctly inserted and the retaining clip was unlatched at one end.

Fitting the ribbon correctly was easy as the two ends of the ribbon were offset.  However with some patience and perseverance I managed to correctly secure it and the monitor works. 

Phew…. leave the rest for another day!

E-Bike Problems

This post is about the mechanical and electrical problems I had with my ebike during my recent trip through Europe and how I have (hopefully) resolved them.

Battery Charger

The bike battery charger stopped working.  This caused a slight panic as I depended upon the battery to assist my old legs.  In my haste to resolve the problem I initially forgot the golden rule “Look for the simple things first!”

I pulled the charger apart and used my poor eyesight and bad sense of smell tried and identify any faults.

There didn’t appear to be any visual issues and there was no smell of burning components.

Then I remembered the golden rule.   I checked continuity on the 240V and 48V cables.  No continuity on the 48V side.  After dismantling the plug I found the soldering on negative cable had broken at the pin.

A simple repair.  Thank goodness!

Reader you may recall I had a problem with the Shimano Alfine 11 speed internally geared hub in the rear wheel.  After getting a bungee strap caught in it all I was left with were gears 1, 9 and 10.  Although I managed to arrange for a French bike mechanic to attempt a repair; he was unsuccessful.  Eventually I had to wait several days for a replacement wheel and hub to be delivered before continuing with the trip.  The defective wheel was sent back to the UK using DHL.  When I returned to the UK I disassembled the rim, spokes and hub in order to take it home.

Once back home I partially stripped the hub to see if I could identify the problem.  The tolerances in the hub are very tight and I had previously read online others had damaged their hubs by placing them under too much strain.

The first thing I noticed was half a rubber ‘O’ ring which dropped onto the bench when I removed the outer cap.  Had I damaged the ‘O’ ring resulting in there being too much lateral movement in the axle?  This is what the French bike mechanic had suggested.

After looking at a hub parts diagram I realised the hub didn’t contain a small ‘O’ ring.

Then I remembered the problem was caused by a rubber bungee like the one below

 

The bungee was so tightly entwined in the hub I had been forced to cut it into pieces as part of the removal process. 

Using a magnifying glass I examined the sprocket end of the hub.

Something appeared to be caught in the mechanism

Using a sewing needle I was able to remove a tiny piece of rubber which I believe came from the bungee.  I’m hopefully I’ve solved the hub problem and am now the proud owner of two serviceable Shimano Alfine 11 internally geared hubs

Whilst disassembling the bike ready to box for the return to Australia I noticed the combined motor on/off and speed controller buttons was broken.  It must have happened during one of my falls during the trip.

Controller

The plastic hinge had broken. 

I couldn’t glue the hinge back together as the broken pieces were missing.  Moreover the bracket still needs to open and close when being installed or removed for travel.

My solution has been to cut a strip of plastic from the side of an old empty ice cream container and Araldite it to the bracket making a hinge.

It appears to be working.

The last problem wasn’t with the bike.  It was the small ‘FlexTail Zero’ pump for inflating the camping mattress.

The head unscrews from the body in order to gain access to the rechargeable battery.  The problem was the threads were so fine they seized and it took two pairs of pliers to separate them.  This not only damaged the threads but also the head portion of the pump.

Rechargeable battery with a USB-C socket

I managed to force the head and body back together but they will never be completely satisfactory. However the pump works.

IMHO this is a design problem.  The pump would be better if the USB-C charging socket was on the exterior of the pump body negating the requirement to separate the components.

Castleton Walk

Our youngest son thought he had a long list of maintenance tasks to keep me busy before my return flight home.   However I was able to complete them far faster than he expected.  With time on my hands I decided to go for a half day walk.  One of the criteria was to stay away from the English canal network as I didn’t want to get too nostalgic.  Avoiding canals is easier said than done, but I found an 8km walk in the Peak District.

My starting point would be Castleton in the Hope Valley.  The road into Castleton from the west is very steep, which triggered a memory.  I had previously driven this road!  Then I remembered it was near here where Jan and I had a meeting with Dot & Derek (nb Gypsy Rover) after they had sold their boat and bought a motorhome.

The village was my starting point with the circuit to the north. 

Castleton Visitor Centre.

To the south and above the village is the ruined Norman Peveril Castle built for William Peverel who was one of William the Conquerors knights.  Its strategic position dominates the surrounding countryside.

To the north was a nice ridgeline which would give my legs and lungs a workout.

In the distance to the south was what looked like a ruined factory.  Perhaps an old mill?

I was slightly surprised when an hour later I noticed smoke coming from the chimney!

In the valley to the north there appeared to be several former mills.  I believe the one in the photo below is Edale Mill.  It was built c.1793, and closed as a mill in 1932.  In the 1960s, buildings were converted into maisonettes.  Originally it was a corn mill and then a tannery before being converted into a cotton mill in 1795.

I’d completed my walk by midday and decided to have lunch in the Bulls Head, Castleton before return to Sale.

Rotterdam to Hull

After worrying all night about the bike being at the railway station I was up early and swiftly on my way to check if it was still there and OK.  Yes… sigh of relief!  With the bike back at the hotel foyer I packed my panniers and headed out of the city.  Only a short ride of approximately 50km to the village of Brielle (left arrow below).  Reaching it involved detouring off the direct route to the P&O terminal, but I have plenty of time.

Reluctantly I used Google Maps to navigate my way out of Rotterdam.  The directions from Google had me going around a small boat harbour then across a bridge over the river.  Being the Netherlands there was a good cycle path.  Moreover all the motorist are very mindful of cyclists and give way!

The boat harbour was picturesque BUT there was no bridge across the river.

I was in the midst of cursing Google when I noticed in the distance three dismounted cyclist standing in front of a grey door.  The door opened and they disappeared.  It was a lift!  There is no bridge.  It’s a pedestrian and cycle tunnel under the river!

Cycling along the south bank of the river was rather uninteresting.  Numerous cargo terminals and petrochemical plants.

On turning south I passed over a canal to reach a more rural region, eventually reaching my destination, Brielle.  What an attractive little village where cycling is the main form of transport.

I found a small hotel down a side street and before paying for a room ask if they had secure bike storage?  Of course they did… the Netherlands is cycling paradise.

After securing the bike in their locked courtyard, I went for a walk around the village noticing someone’s pride and joy in a suburban street.

A good night of sleep not worrying about the bike. 

The next day I slowly cycled to the P&O Terminal arriving just before boarding commenced, only to find a long queue of vehicles.  Eventually I reached the front of the queue and provided my passport and booking number (on my phone) to the lady in the booth.  What a shock when she informed me I wasn’t booked on the ferry.   Somehow I’d managed to book from Hull to Rotterdam rather than Rotterdam to Hull.  There was even more concern when she then informed me the sailing was fully booked.  Then she took pity on me and suggested I cycle to the main ferry office and ask if they could assist me.

Off I cycled only to find a long queue of elderly foot passengers attempting to board.

Finally I was at the front of the queue and after considerable and pitiful whining, grovelling and abasing they found me a cabin.  I then had to cycle back to the check-in booth before going through immigration and customs to board.  It was actually quite a nice cabin… with a window!

Departure wasn’t until 8pm so I wandered around the ship along with all the other passengers.

The next morning I woke a 5am and decided to have breakfast when the restaurant opened at 6am.

There was no one around!

Then I noticed a clock on the wall.  It was 4am.   A one hour time zone change for the UK.

At 7am I was packing the panniers as the ‘Maid of Rotterdam’ sailed up the Humber for an 8am arrival.

Back in England.  Cold, grey sky and threatening to rain (it did)

  

My 2024 European cycling trip is over.

Reflections

• The Netherlands cycling infrastructure is excellent.
• Namur to Dinant in Belgium was very attractive.
• I probably would have enjoyed the very hilly Ardennes if it hadn’t been raining.
• The path beside the River Saar between Saarbrucken and Luxembourg was scenic.
• Switzerland was very scenic but also very expensive.
• I enjoyed riding the north bank of Lake Constance
• Much of the EV15 (Rhine) route wasn’t what I had been expecting.  Little scenery or industrial.  Only the part between Mainz and Cologne was particularly enjoyable.
• Almost everyone I conversed with spoke English.
• The vast majority of cyclist were riding ebikes. 
• Would I do the trip again?  No!  There are other areas in Europe I’d like to see.