Switzerland
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Really Maori lawnmowers
at the hardware store |
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| All set |
Righto, brake pads, should be pretty straight forward. Up at seven thirty, breakfast, save shower, crack on. Removed the wheel to reveal the monster calliper with two pots on the inside only, not exactly a performance part like I'm used to. Discovered that I needed a seventeen millimetre spanner, which my little set skips to hold the lock nut. Need a tool shop, not keen to drive the Disco again. Google Tool shop near me and discover there is a listing one point two kilometres away. Set off on bike not confident of a result.
Luck was with me, it was one of the best hardware outlets I have seen on this trip. Purchased
- Thin seventeen milimetre spanner
- One hundred millimetre G clamp to compress brake pots
- Two 3/8 extensions as my set was lacking
- Five minute Araldite, as always
- Gardina double tap adapter as the expensive one bought in the Cannes marina failed immediately
- Diagonal snips for wire cutting as I forgot to bring any
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| Crikey |
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| Grind noise maker |
Cracked on and immediately discovered that the monster callipers were about five millimetres more than the one hundred millimetre G clamp could do. Back to the shop on the bike with Fyfe to exchange for a six inch G clamp for an additional twelve euros.
Have been annoyed that the Disco did not detect that the callipers were worn out. When I tackled the right side I discovered that the pads were not nearly as worn and only the right side has a wear sensor, the assumption being that the pads wear evenly, left and right. Assumptions huh!
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| New and old |
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| Left and right side pads, old pads |
Couldn't believe that it was two in the afternoon by the time Fyfe and I finished. Lucky I wasn't on the meter. Went for a test drive and relished the grind free stopping. Looking forward to getting the new rotor on order from the UK at our next campsite. Fyfe burnt his finger tip seeing if the rotor was hot on our return. It was.
After cleaning up we set up for one of Dr. Tim's destinations.
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| Fantastic |
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Welcome advice
from Tim |
The drive exceeded expectations and was glad for the Disco's low ratio option as the hairpins were tight and it would effortlessly click through the six gears accelerating up the straights to about fifty or sixty k's at the most. Opposing traffic had to be squeezed past, sometimes backing up a little. Pulled over when we could to let traffic past as keeping pizza inside children, not the Disco, is preferred.
Stopped half way up, at the point indicated by Tim which was a lovely chapel with tremendous views across the lake and trees to play in which we did as the day was lovely and warm and we were in no hurry.
There must have been hundreds of hairpins and eventually after about an hour we popped out trees into pasture with ski tows running up the fields and cows grazing with bells.
On entering Switzerland everything, and I mean everything, got flash.
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| Panarama from half way up |
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| The top, a fair old climb (for the Disco) |
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| Snack at the top |
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Roman was very impressed by the free bike repair station complete with tools and pump (which he is pumping)
Jacqueline was impressed by the immaculate heated toilets |
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| Innovative bike stand |
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| Italy behind us, Switzerland ahead |
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| Disco GPS |
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| Electric fences and pasture, resplendent with ringing cow bells |
It appeared that ticks or flies were giving the cattle a hard time as you can see in this video
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