SUCCESS!!!!!
I after rerouting the cable a few weeks ago and going for a test stroll around the neighborhood, I finally took the Boarala out for her first ever real ride. When I first built it I was mostly doing errand type stuff with her but today I gave her a good 25 mile shake down cruze.
She is heavy! Between the IGH and the dynamo that is a lot of weight to drag up and down the stairs. While the setup may make it look small I can actually only lift the front wheel about 2-3", a little much for a road bike but considering this is a Celeste blooded 'cross machine I think the fit is good. The handling was just what I would expect for a Bianchi but I am not sure if it was the weight or the slightly bigger tire than I am used to that made it seem a bit sluggish at times.
I don't know how many of you have an IGH with the backwards Jtek but my knees hate it!! Despite trying to keep in mind that shifting was backwards I seemed to find myself shifting to a bigger gear when climbing and then as I started down..... You got it! I jammed that shifter down and almost dislocated my knees!
The one town I ride through put some oil and chip on a road that was getting pretty beat up so I even got to do a little gravel grinding. I may load this in the car and head down the road to a rail trail Thurs and give it a good 20 mile path ride.
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk