Just a few more weeks before the event, and time to prepare our bikes. Mrs non-fixie is still very happy with her '68 Mercier, so that will be her steed. I'm less sure what to bring this time. Currently it seems to be a toss-up between the Vittorio Strada and the Mann-Libertas. Took the latter on a test ride today:



It would do nicely, but there are a couple of issues to address: the gearing is a little high and the freewheel is not very 'free'. Lowest gear is currently 42 x 24, which is good enough for the local polders, but not for the Retroronde, not to mention Eroica Britannia, which we'll be doing a week later as part of the same trip.

So, a different freewheel with bigger cogs is a no-brainer, but where to find a smaller inner chainring for the TA Professionel cranks? One reason I'd like to take the Mann-Libertas along is the Huret Allvit transmission. The better I'm gettting to know it, the more I'm liking it.