JaccoW

I should probably make a start of documenting my tour from Marseille to Barcelona here.

So at the end of August a good friend and I boarded a train from Rotterdam to Marseille to start our tour. Two days earlier we decided to completely toss out our original plan of cycling to Rome from there because of the forest fires along the mediterranean and made the decision to head into the opposite direction (and as we learned, right into the dominant headwind of summer) to Barcelona.
We made a rough plan and just decided to ride from hostel to hotel finetuning things as we went. Picking spots along the route to stay overnight and booking them 1-2 days beforehand. I used Komoot for planning and navigation.

So off we went!

Summary

• Total distance:750km (466 miles) and a total of 7220 meters (23688 ft.) of climbing in about 9 days
• Shortest day: 31 km (19 miles) but with close to 1400m (4593 ft.) of climbing
• Longest day: 140 km (87 miles) with 1171m (3841 ft.) of climbing on the final day
• Top speed: 65.2 kph (40.5 mph)
• Hungriest day: Day 9 with an estimated 4,621kJ of energy output. Even 4 bananas weren't enough in the final hour.
• Longest day: Day 2 with 11:51 hours of elapsed time
• Warmest day: 33°C (91.4°F)
• Bike weight: 15 kg (33 lbs.)
• Load weight: 18 kg (40 lbs.) a.k.a. way too much
• # flat tyres: 2

JaccoW

Day 1: Marseille to Port-de-Bouc (2021-Aug-22)

Strava - Day 1

So on our day of arrival we headed into Marseille to get some food, ship our train bags to our hostel at the end and drank too many great beers and cider.

The first day of actual riding we planned a relatively short day, which was a good thing since I hadn't managed to train at all in the weeks beforehand. The road out of Marseille to the West led us along a short stretch of uncomfortable highway riding at first but soon we were led into a beautiful national park and several steep climbs into some of the small villages along the coast. It was hot, we drank close to 3-4 liters each and ended our day in the small town of Port-de-Bouc only to be greeted with a small festival with various seafood! Well, after we had a big 'coupe de glace' (roughly translates to ice-cream sundae but it's much bigger than that) with lemon ice-cream and wodka.


My friend didn't understand the meaning of "just a small one"




Where we came from


Where we were going


Many speedboats zipping by


Getting close to the final town



It's late here so the update on day 2 will be tomorrow!

RiddleOfSteel

Beautiful scenery and views! I can only imagine how much better it is witnessing it with one's own eyes! (as is often the case)

JaccoW

Day 2 - Port-de-bouc to Montpellier (2021-Aug-23)

Strava

On day 2 we had some distance to catch up on so we drove 141 km from Port-de-Bouc to Montpellier. We got up at 7:30 and ended our arrival in Montpellier in the evening on a terrace. This day went mostly through the beautiful Parc naturel régional de Camargue with its salt flats, flamingos and just general nice views over the sea. It did lead us over lots of rougher gravel roads that ended with the both of us getting a flat tyre. Another day where I was happy to be able to carry a lot of water since there was only one small village halfway through where we could refill our water and we certainly had to. For those planning a similar route I would suggest taking it in the opposite direction as we had a strong headwind all day.


View at the hotel



Great roads for getting flats




Also great views

JaccoW

Day 3 - Montpellier to Béziers (2021-Aug-25)

Strava

People in Montpellier asked us why we even wanted to go there. The truth is, it's halfway to Carcassonne from there. We rode the 90km to Béziers along the gravelly coastal bicycle path again and at some points I would just fly! My friend with his road bike tyres wasn't as enthusiasting as I was but we made good time.
I had added some extra water carrying capacity to his bike on the rear stays with a set of Zefal Gizmo universal clamps and a cheap bottle cage. I liked it so much that we got some for my bike later that week.



Montpellier

JaccoW

One thing I have been thinking of lately is which frame to use for the framebuilder adjustments. While the WorldTraveller was the original idea (and the one I bought the frame blocks for) the Traveller/Graveller is in better condition and has proven itself to ride well. I would be kind of a shame to damage the paint on that one but there is much less rust on it.
With what I am planning with it though I would rather spend the money on a frame that I know is structurally sound over one that is probably okay. And the Graveller is a damn nice ride as it is.
But a new disc fork + frame changes + new wheels is a fairly radical change anyway.

No rush to decide just yet. I haven't spend a penny on new parts just yet.

RiddleOfSteel

Tough choice given original intent and discovered goodness. Given how good the Traveller/Graveller is, I'd be inclined to keep it as is and not modify it. Of course, my Trek 620 was perfectly fine, but I sought better braking through repositioned canti posts, etc, and I got better braking along with a big vibrating situation at speeds above 12-15kmh or so due to those magic, impact-absorbing, thin-walled fork blades and seat stays. It looks epic, so 2 out of 3 positives works more than well enough for me for now.

Part of me thinks that if that rust on the WorldTraveller is largely surface-based, then making frame changes to that, plus a new disc fork, make it the least likely to make you sad in changing something up.

Love the real life photos of your travels. Cloth seat Mercedes, ferries, single lane old city roads, architecture, and coastal roads at sea level.

Clyde1820

Great project, Jacco. Particularly liked the photo with the bike next to a stump ... which is about the only way I'd ever get up onto a 66cm bike.


Love the photos. It's got to be really satisfying taking the bike out for a long-distance "spin" when having resurrected it with much love and care.

Enjoy the trip.

alexnagui

Great job on documenting the trip! Great photography as well
​​​​Your Strava links don't work for me though, maybe it has to do with the privacy settings you have on Strava.PS. If I were you I would keep the Graveller as it is.

​​​​​

JaccoW

I am gearing up again for another couple of rides this summer.

1. First up is a short loaded tour to see what does and does not work from home in Rotterdam to Lille in France and back over Brussels.
2. At the end of August I will be attending the Graveller Veluwe ride for two days
3. Mid-September I will be riding from Rotterdam to Berlin to visit some friends. Route to be determined.

Since the rear tyre is on its way out I ordered a pair of Soma Shikoro 42-622 tyres which are very similar to the Soma Supple Vitesse EX that's on here now. Just with a polyamide breaker layer to prevent punctures.


#1


To be continued

JaccoW

Well, I'm off to Berlin. Going for a full camping outfit with some new bags.
Weather isn't great, quite some rain expected, but at least it's not going to be too cold.

I do want to quickly share my bags and what I am bringing on my 800+km (500 miles) ride this week.


Full setup


Front rando bag. Mostly clothes.


Carradice Super-C saddle bag. Tent, food and cooking gear.


Right fork bag. Down sleeping bag. Rated to just below freezing.


Left fork bag. The rest of the sleeping gear + toilet paper


Frame bag. Tent pole + assorted knick-knacks, electronics, toiletry kit and towel

JaccoW

I found the Focus Adventure rack earlier this year I wanted one, the German webshop that originally sold them did not ship outside of Germany unfortunately.

However, Bike24 had them in stock earlier this week (and also ships to a wide variety of countries) so I ordered it on a whim.

No actual riding impressions just yet but it seems like a solid piece of kit and should work on most bikes, as long as you have fender/rack mounts and a place to bolt a fender to at the seatstays.
I had to do some minor adjustments like bending the strut but all in all it was a 30 min job and will help me carry more water or more gear in the future. Most likely I will add a 1.5L/48oz Nalgene bottle to one side and my tent to the other side.

Clyde1820

Nice little way to add a bit more water-carrying capacity, if running out of bottle mounts, without going to a full pannier.

Your Koga-Miyata is looking pretty great. Not bad for €30, eh?

JaccoW

Exactly, it's basically a pair of Salsa Anything cages in the form of a rack. At 390 grams (13.75 oz) it is not that much lighter than a Tubus Fly at 420 grams (14.8oz) but the overal system is probably lighter if you just use it to carry water and things that can just be strapped to a cage.

Atlas shows this funny animation but basically anything goes.

I will probably just use it to significantly increase my water carrying capacity for some weird tours I have planned for the future.

Ha, that's always ignoring the amount of money I poured into the rest of the bike after that but a cheap start makes for the best bikes right?

Clyde1820

Yeah. A lot like the mid-'90s lightweight Trek 970 MTB that I picked up for US $100 ... then "poured" money over it for refurbishing into a decent city bike. Basically, frame + new everything. Works really well, but it sure didn't cost just $100. Like you, I'm still smilin'. And I don't need a step ladder to get up onto mine, little 16" thing that it is. That's something, I guess.

Piff 

Hmmm, I really like that rack, thanks for posting it. Perfect for some credit card touring on a road bike. I've been wondering how best to use my road race bike for light touring utilizing a set of Blackburn's 'Custom Eyelets' and I think that Focus Adventure Rack is perfect combined with a small front bag and saddle bag.

JaccoW

There are a ton of options from the bikepacking world nowadays. Bikepacking.com has a pretty decent list and often reviews racks.

On a roadbike I would honestly go for frame mounted bags myself. Something like a Roadrunner 'The Jammer' handlebar bag (5-11L) with a Restrap saddle bag (14L) will probably give you quite some room to bring items with you.
That's what my friend did a couple years ago when we were on tour. He only wished he had gotten bags that were easy to remove from the bike. Especially with an overstuffed saddlebag like he did it was a chore to mount it each morning.

In comparison, I could easily remove both big bags in seconds.

polymorphself 

Which model boot is this?

JaccoW

That's a pair of Palladium Solid Ranger Berlin, Here's a better picture. Like most models by them this was a limited edition for several cities around the world. I think I have the Paris one as well. Basically what you would call a sneaker boot, easy to wear shoes with some thread on them for rougher terrain. You can find their latest models on PalladiumBoots.com or EU.

JaccoW

My fingers are getting itchy again to modify this bike... and while something like a Simworks by Nitto - To Smile bar would have been cool with its wider clamp area (and thus room for accessories like clip on aerobars) I did not want to jump in straight away.
Looking over at the B+M website I noticed they have a 300 Lux IQ-XL High Beam dynamo headlight coming up later this year with a much nicer light field than the already excellent 100 Lux IQ-X. It should at the very least make for a very good night time rando light, though I will have to wait for reviews.

If it is anything like the e-bike version we're talking about:

• IQ-XL
  • 300 Lux
  • 480 Lumen in regular mode
  • 800 Lumen in high beam mode
  • 160 Lumen in daylight running mode
• IQ-X
  • 100 Lux
  • 300 Lumen
• Cyo Premium
  • 80 Lux
  • 190 Lumen
• SON Edelux II
  • 100 Lux
  • 210 Lumen

Anyway, you're talking, .

So I am plotting the next best thing, a new front wheel build. With dynamo!

Front Wheel Dynamo - Kstoerz link


Using the same model rim as is on there right now with a Shimano Deore LX DH-3N72 dynohub it should be able to run a light like that, together with one of the SON rear lights on a modified mount.

I'm doing some calculations.

JaccoW

Let's go!

JaccoW

Alright, I still suck at lacing a wheel properly the first time. It's wildly off-centre and I cannot even connect the third row of spokes. Time to take some out later this week and try again.

https://i.imgur.com/DrvP0t1.jpg[/b]]

JaccoW

And we finally have a working wheel again!

I still need to check if it is entirely centered but so far it looks good. As usual I added the brass spoke washers and just for the fun of it I added some gold striping. The silver version of this hub has black striping but the black one doesn't, so why not.
I'm contemplating ordering a pair of Soma Shikoro tyres, which are essentially the Soma Supple Vitesse EX with a puncture protection layer, by the end of the month but maybe I will just transfer the current tyre to this one. We'll see.

Parts used are:

• Ryde Zac 421
• Sapim Race double butted (2.0 - 1.8 - 2.0mm) spokes in black
• Sapim Polyax spoke nipples
• Brass spoke washers
• Shimano Deore LX DH-3N72 6V 3W dynamo hub
• Schwalbe high pressure rim tape 20-622

- Soma Shikoro tyre -

I asked Busch & Müller about the upcoming IQ-XL High Beam and they confirmed it works with any 6V 3W dynamo hub and should be expected by midyear at European retailers at least.
In the mean time I might just throw on a B+M Briq-S or the cute B+M Eyc senso plus since those are relatively affordable and will find their way onto other bikes in the future.

Some wheel building pictures in the meantime.

JaccoW

Well noglider and Bikedued , I looked into what Panaracer had on offer and... well, there is a Panaracer.eu website that sells all of their tyres for reasonable prices (and only €3.95 in shipping) and also offers the 2023 limited edition tyres.

So I guess the Graveller is getting a new pair of matching(?) turquoise Gravel King slick in 38-622.
Weight wise they should in the same ballpark. IIRC the Somas are supposedly 380 grams at 42-622 and the Panaracers are 340 grams for 38-622. But from reviews I believe both are around 39mm on the rim.






Pictures from this Road.cc review

Kobe 

Seems odd something called the Graveler is riding on turquoise tires but I'll withhold judgement until I see a complete picture.