That doesn't surprise me, we have had heavy rain here the past few days and are coming into autumn.

Peter White lists the Carradice cape on his site, but is out of stock too. The other one he sells is a good bit more expensive; http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/carradice.asp (Scroll down past all the bags and such).

I don't know about his shipping policy, but his shop is only 10 miles from my house, I could pick something up and put it in the mail for you if necessary.
I buy a lot of my stuff from these guys, www.excelsports.com they don't show capes, but do have various jackets, and offer international shipping.
A light water resistant jacket meant for hiking will work fine for cycling too, if such are more available for you. Jackets meant for cycling are tailored to cover better for a cyclists's riding posture though. Unless you have fenders on the bike, your feet and legs will get soaked no matter what.

Thanks BD.
Peter White must be the weirdest guy in the cycling business!
Ok, so the website is a bit of a mess, but he even lists Weapons of Mass Destruction including nukes and a B29, all with prices!
I'll send him an email, but I am afraid of shipping costs and maybe the customs...
Cycling jackets I can find here and I am in the process of getting fenders.
For some strange reason, at the very start of September (right in day number 1) we get a few overcast and slightly colder days and then it gets warm again until October, so I still have a bit time regarding rain gear.

No luck with Peter White either. They are out of stock as well.
Considering the manufacturer is out of stock and the rains have already started in those places, it is not a surprise as Andy said.
I guess for now I will have to do with a cheap PVC one from the super market. Unfortunately they are not for cyclists and I am afraid my legs and hands will get wet, so I will only go out in the rain in an emergency.

helmet covers -- I would find these useless unless I was riding in very very cold conditions. My head would sweat and get far wetter under a cover than it would get wet by rain.

Vaughn

PS, a light weight (no liner) Gortex zip-up jacket (or parka -- they are longer) suits me best. In a light rain I snap the bottom behind my back so that the wind can keep my chest cooled down, but yet my back and shoulders stay dry. My jacket also has zippers for under the arm pits -- the more ventilation the better!

We're back to summer again as predicted (by me, the Master Oracle).
So, no worries at the moment for capes and fenders (waiting for them to be delivered).

I am looking for somebody around here now to advice me on training.
I had planned to join a gym but haven't been convinced yet if the fees are worth it.
Plus my first priorities (nutrition, fat loss, endurance) can be satisfied with cycling.
And you get to be out instead of being closed in.
I've read a few things but am a bit lost in practice.

I want to ask you a beginner question though about gears:
(I have a 24 speed bike, 3 front, 8 back gears)
I usually use gear number 2 as mentioned before in town where the traffic is thick and there are hills all over.
Outside the city though I have the space and roads to go faster.
But, when I switch to gear 3, the larger one, I get a loud constant rattle from the chain as it spins.
Only a few times I have managed to get it right and be quiet.
I've read that one shouldn't have the chain be in opposite gears back-front, so I assume that meant front gear 1 with first back gears, middle front gear with first-middle gears, third front gear with larger back gears.

What am I doing wrong?

Nothing. With the chain on the outer front chainring and on the inner rear gear the chain sometimes catches on the front deraillieur. (It does on my bike anyway). The same happens if you do the opposite and select the highest (outermost) rear gear and lowest (innermost) front chainring.

I tend to leave my front gear on the largest chainring and only use my highest eight gears. I sometimes drop down to the central front chainring if I have a strong headwind or meet a steep hill.

So, Andy, how can I switch from the middle front gear to the large front gear without the rattling?

You will need to fine tune the throw of the front mech so it doesn't catch the chain. Not something to do if you have not done it before. Your friendly local cycle mechanic will probably help.

You will need to fine tune the throw of the front mech so it doesn't catch the chain. Not something to do if you have not done it before. Your friendly local cycle mechanic will probably help.
Thanks, I'll go ask him.

It sounds like your front derailleur may be mis-adjusted, if you're getting noise after the chain has moved to the large chainring. There will always be some noise when it's making the transition.

There are two screws which determine the innermost and outer-most positions of the derailleur cage when you move the shifter. If the chain rubs when you're on the big chainring, it means that the cage doesn't move out far enough.
You could have some slackness in the cable, or else the limit screws aren't set right.
Have a look here for the details; http://sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html (the front derailleur stuff is at the bottom).
Note that if you do any screw turning, especially on the clamp screw for the cable, the fasteners are steel threaded into aluminum, and are easy to over-tighten.

One should not use certain gear combinations -- such as both the large chainrings (front and back) or both small chainrings (front and back) -- if you do either (or even close to them), you will notice that the chain is forced to run at an angle. The chain then has to engage the gear teeth at an angle instead of straight on. This causes a lot of noise and excessive wear on the teeth and chain.

So while you have a 24 speed bike, not all 24 should be used...but one can still have a smooth translation from the lowest gear to the highest without using all 24.

Vaughn

This is why my next bike has no front gear change even though it is a 27 speed. It has a 9 speed rear cassette on a 3 speed internal hub.

I am not sure that will solve your problem completely, Andy. If the front chainring is centered on the freewheel, the chain will still be at large angle when using the largest and smallest chainrings on the back.

As it is, I try not to use my middle front chainring with the largest (#1) nor the smallest(#7) chainrings on the back -- I try to keep it between #3 and #6. But I do notice the most noise with the lower back gears.

Perhaps they need to invent a "floating" front chainring assembly that automatically centers itself on the chainring being used on back.

Vaughn

It has a 9 speed rear cassette on a 3 speed internal hub.

Sounds like a great idea. Is this similar to the Sturmey Archer hubs?


Steve.

Very: http://www.tsr.uk.com/gallery/index.php?gallery-id=3&image-id=22&cursor=0

Since they went to a narrower chain so that they could fit 9 gears onto a freewheel (allowing the chainrings to be closer together), perhaps if they went back down to 7 gears and the narrow chain, the angle of attack would be kept to a minimum at the highest and lowest gears.

Seven gears (compared to 9) would make for slightly less-smooth shifting, but I do not think it would be significant...especially with the benefit of greater efficiency of translating power from the front to the rear (the greater the angle of attack the chain has relative to the grear teeth, the lower the efficiency -- if you are creating noise, you are losing power).

Vaughn

It sounds like your front derailleur may be mis-adjusted, if you're getting noise after the chain has moved to the large chainring. There will always be some noise when it's making the transition.
You could be right, so I am taking the bike for a check up first thing in the morning.

On another note, I like my saddle, but I fear it might be improper. It is not really wide, but not as thin as pure road saddles. It is also somewhat padded, not very stiff. Unfortunately it is not in the Selle Italia website so I can show it to you.
I get some light chaffing after a ride, which needs to be treated with a cream and bothers me for the day. It might well be just the sweat, as I have yet to wear the lycra shorts and my regular pants and shorts get thoroughly wet with sweat. Also, my hands still hurt, even after bit of a ride. I try to grip as lightly as I can and also change the position, one of the reasons I got the bar ends. I got a pair of expensive Assos gloves with some padding (not as much I think as others have), but I do get some aches at where the hands grip the bar (thumb part of the palm, the inside of the index-thumb).
Are those sores due to my inexperience or something to look out for (by changing the saddle/gloves)?

Gloves -- I use some that have the max gel padding. You might also try changing how you grip the handle bars often during your ride - "death grip" when you need it, then with your thumbs parallel to the bars at other times. If your butt is sore, that might tempt you to support too much of your body weight on your arms/hands.

One other thing, when I took my bike tour so many years ago, it did not take long for my elbows to become very sore. I finally realized that I was locking my elbows straight, and using my arms to support my upper body weight on the handle bars. I switched to riding with my elbows always slightly bent and the pain went away.

Vaughn

I took my bike to "my guy" today and he fixed it with a magical turn of the wrist!
The chain actually never jumped from the middle front gear to the larger one and the rattling was the chain been twisted in a strange way. The tension of the gear wire was loose and just needed a bit of tightening by the knob on the gear change.
Simple as that, but if you don't know what's going on and how to fix it, you need a mechanic.
I've bought a book on bicycle repair and maintenance, I've read dozens of pages online, but I don't remember any mention of that problem. I still need to take the bike for a longer ride than up and down the street of the bike shop to test that everything' ok but I am glad it was just a little thing, that I know now how to take care of.

Simple fixes are nice! The wires of new bikes usually stretch and need tighnening after awhile.

Vaughn

Btw, Vaughn, I think I have the right position on the bike.
My body is relaxed and slightly arched, I put most of my weight forward, my arms are slightly bent, my grip is relaxed and only tightens a couple seconds when I need some effort, I change the position of my hands and fingers often, I pedal with the ball of my foot, my leg almost stretched, learning to push backwards on the 3 o'clock position, I get up from my seat often, especially when going over a rough part of the road, I tilt the bike on turns, I change gears often making sure I have a high and effortless cadence and try to be as safe on the road as possible.

Yes, always be careful on the roads Aristotelis, because even the most experienced riders can become a victim: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4673693.ece

Yes, always be careful on the roads Aristotelis, because even the most experienced riders can become a victim: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4673693.ece

Yeah, I've read this very sad news.
It says a lot about the greek roads when a man of adventure is consumed by the greek asphalt not a remote jungle. Unfortunately murders on the road and hit & run cowards are common here. I am happy they caught the bastard.
I've read a couple greek forums on the matter and even though the general sentiment is of shame and anger, some have become so cynical that have even come to blame the cyclist for chosing to use the greek roads!
A lot of other cyclists, Greeks and foreigners have adventured here, so this is a rare occurance. When asking an experience cyclist to tell you if greek roads are dangerous will respond that if you're careful, you'll survive. I read and hear about so many traffic accidents that involve motorists of four and two wheels and don't remember anything about bicycles.
Cyclists tend to be more careful because they know their fragility.
Even though, I do have noticed a few bicycling in the night with no lights...

I take off my hat for Ian Hibell.
At least he died adventuring. Maybe in not the most exotic place, but in a wild and dangerous nonetheless. A great inspiration for the rest of us.

Don't forget that the 22nd of September is the Day Without Car!
The local bicyclists with the support of the Townhall are trying to organize an event, with a bicycle ride, outdoor concert and maybe even a raffle for a hundred free bikes.