The two bike shops to which I wheeled my heavy bike (a 2-man-lift, according to British Airways) did not have a mechanic til noon. And neither had the part. Oh well, this gave me time to walk up and down the gutter of a dual carriageway, looking for the pieces that had fallen off. And I found all 5 bits (the largest is about 15mm across). The nearer shop fitted the jockey wheel back and by 1pm I was able to set off (after the usual unpack and repack twice to find bike computer, and then a single missing glove...
Hot it was by then, and jolly hard work with 26 kilos on the bike. I can't yet lift it up or even down stairs, though partly that is a knack which I am sure will come back to me. The plan was a steep, 8% climb km through a park out of Athens, reaching roughly 700m height, and then on to Lake Marathon (which used to be Athens reservoir), the rest of the day to be a descent to the sea.
It was not to be. I huffed and puffed; the chain came off three times; he map was tricky and roadsigns rare, so I kept stopping to check each junction as I climbed. There is a paradox that if you are in a very low gear (yep, I was in the 1-1 ratio, one pedal turn to one wheel turn) it is hard to get going from a standing start. Several times I had to go downhill to restart.
Eventually I was sure of the route and starting to get good views back to Athens and out to the bay of Marathon. OK it was still on the bottom two gears, but it was fairly smooth. Suddenly crunch-graunch-boing the jockey wheel exploded again, the chain dived off the gears and everything came to a stop. I picked up all the bits again, and carried the panniers and bike one by one back to a shady tree I had just wistfully passed. The best bet seemed to eat and drink, so I enjoyed fresh bread, gorgeous tomatoes and salami as it should be (warmed by a hot sun), washed down with one of the four and a half litres of water I was carrying.
I reckoned I couldn't replace the jockey wheel, but I was halfway up a mountain... So I removed my chain and free-wheeled all the way back, which took 25 minutes ( I had to stop free-wheeling as I entered Athens, partly because the road flattened out and partly because freewheeling at traffic lights is peculiar and scary).
The slope stopped at Mary's house, so I borrowed the internet to check on good bike shops in Athens. No info. Mary. bless her, drove my bags back to the hotel (re-booked) and I pushed the bike a couple of miles through the traffic to the bike shop. They have now done a better repair, touch wood, and I am confident it will last.
So, tomorrow, back to climbing that hill. Planning on an early start to get a few miles in before the heat.
Hot it was by then, and jolly hard work with 26 kilos on the bike. I can't yet lift it up or even down stairs, though partly that is a knack which I am sure will come back to me. The plan was a steep, 8% climb km through a park out of Athens, reaching roughly 700m height, and then on to Lake Marathon (which used to be Athens reservoir), the rest of the day to be a descent to the sea.
It was not to be. I huffed and puffed; the chain came off three times; he map was tricky and roadsigns rare, so I kept stopping to check each junction as I climbed. There is a paradox that if you are in a very low gear (yep, I was in the 1-1 ratio, one pedal turn to one wheel turn) it is hard to get going from a standing start. Several times I had to go downhill to restart.
Eventually I was sure of the route and starting to get good views back to Athens and out to the bay of Marathon. OK it was still on the bottom two gears, but it was fairly smooth. Suddenly crunch-graunch-boing the jockey wheel exploded again, the chain dived off the gears and everything came to a stop. I picked up all the bits again, and carried the panniers and bike one by one back to a shady tree I had just wistfully passed. The best bet seemed to eat and drink, so I enjoyed fresh bread, gorgeous tomatoes and salami as it should be (warmed by a hot sun), washed down with one of the four and a half litres of water I was carrying.
I reckoned I couldn't replace the jockey wheel, but I was halfway up a mountain... So I removed my chain and free-wheeled all the way back, which took 25 minutes ( I had to stop free-wheeling as I entered Athens, partly because the road flattened out and partly because freewheeling at traffic lights is peculiar and scary).
The slope stopped at Mary's house, so I borrowed the internet to check on good bike shops in Athens. No info. Mary. bless her, drove my bags back to the hotel (re-booked) and I pushed the bike a couple of miles through the traffic to the bike shop. They have now done a better repair, touch wood, and I am confident it will last.
So, tomorrow, back to climbing that hill. Planning on an early start to get a few miles in before the heat.
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