Weekend musings.

 Time for a bit of servicing on the bike. 

The gears are an Alfine 8 speed internal hub which I'm happy with. If I assume that the chain is original then it has over a thousand miles on it now and is pretty saggy. I had shortened it last week and had a look on line for advice on sizing, but as usual there was a lot of conflicting opinions and a lack of hard data. 

I eventually ordered up a KMC x8 which ticked the boxes for being a robust enough chain for single speed tensioning but also thin enough to clear the front guard ring. It was also a quarter of the price of the x1. I fitted it on Saturday and gave the front and rear sprockets a good clean.  Apart from the chain splitting, I did everything else with the two spanners and small multi tool I carry in the top tube bag. After the front puncture last week,  I wanted to be sure I could manage a rear puncture with just the basic tools. Releasing the hub cable is relatively easy with the bike upside down and using a small Allen key to tension it. As long as you remember to unclip the motor display on the handle bars!.

When I popped the bike the right way up, I noticed the rear brake level had a bit more travel before it bit. It firmed up with a few pumps, but the fluid probably needs bled. 

The wheels seem true and the spokes all had a good ring to them. There's still a bit of meat on the pads but I'll order some new ones anyway. The various bearings all seem smooth and nuts and blots were checked for tightness. 

It doesn't take long to go over everything, and if I'm going to keep commuting, its going to become a regular weekend job. 

I took the bike out to check everything and there's a bit of noise from the front ring. Hopefully it will bed in. A new sprocket isn't overly expensive but it needs a special tool to remove it. I'll start a search. 

I spent the rest of the day hanging about a local stables while my wife went riding. 

Weather forecast is for very high temperatures tomorrow and especially on Tuesday.