Sierra Designs Tuolumne

For adventures in the colder climes, I have a very basic and shockingly cheap Quechua fleece (actually I have two of them) and a decently nice 700 fill down jacket from Marmot. While one is just about adequate as a base layer of sorts in the mountains, the other is for seriously cold temperatures. There is nothing in between and I have often felt the need for one. I am hoping this Sierra Designs Tuolumne will fill that gap now. My nephew brought this for me from the US. I paid the rupee equivalent of $75, which is Rs 5400.

It's a synthetic insulation jacket. A concept that is just about beginning to, or at least it is supposed to, emerge as a serious threat to the supremacy of down as an insulation material for adventure wear. Marmot calls it "featherless". I have an ethical problem with using down. But then I am helpless to use it because they really work and they are really light and packable. Their only problem is they are affected by rain and the whole question of how down is gathered is rather sad. So I will be too happy to switch over to synthetic down. But I wonder how long it will take for down to be entirely replaced by such synthetic products.

Let me write down the product details from the REI page. The jacket is already unavailable. 

• Hypoallergenic FireBall synthetic down insulates even if it gets damp
• Stows into zippered pocket
• Droptail design provides extended coverage
• Soft bound interior seams
• 5 zippered hand pockets
• Interior kangaroo pockets
• Closeout
• Imported.

And the technical specs are as follows (from the REI website). The fancy name for the green colour is Pesto/alloy and I bought it in size L. 

Now, my impressions about the jacket. It feels very, very light. I don't know how much insulation it will provide. It does not provide any rating or comparison with down insulation. Right now in 12 degree Calcutta winter it feels very nice. I am hoping that I can walk in snow fall and/or light drizzle in the mountains, with this being the outer shell. I will have to see that. It does not have a hood, which is a disadvantage. 

The exterior feels really smooth and soft. So does the interior, like inside the pockets. I am not sure if it is strong enough to take the abrasions of a back pack. There are two zippered pockets outside to warm up one's hands. The end of the arms are elasticated. That gives it somewhat of an el cheapo feel but then if it gets warmer you can pull up your sleeves. The zipper is really thin, light and non-YKK and it shows. You have to struggle a bit to pull it up. But then at $75 you don't expect butter smooth operations. 

The fit is a little baggyish. But then there is a draw cord around the hem line. So it should not be a problem if it is windy. 

I am yet to pack it into its pocket. The jacket came folded. I don't have the heart to squeeze it inside its pocket just as yet.

Last night (today is 18th December 2018) I packed it in its own pocket. It is like a cushion that is 8 inches square or so. It does not pack down too small relative to its weight or thickness when worn. (I am comparing against a down jacket of similar thickness) But this is fine for my backpack. I also wore it to office today - a particularly chilly day with wind and rain. It's warm. But I missed the hood for sure. 

Adjustable Spanner

I call it an adjustable wrench. The official name, I guess is, water pump wrench/spanner/pliers. Whatever it is called, it is a very useful thing to have in the tool box. I had this before. But it is lost somewhere in the other house. One of the many tools I have lost due to there being no tool box. I am sure one day I will find it out and then I will have the luxury of having two spanners. 

It comes handy in plumbing kind of work. I have used it to open the tap in our Metro Park house. You cannot in fact open a tap without this tool. I have also seen cycle mechanics use it for attaching/removing pedals and other plier kind of jobs. It is certainly a versatile kind of tool. 

I bought this today from Bhanubhai Desai for Rs 330. Amazon charges Rs 348 plus courier. I had gone to R.N. Mukherjee Road. On the way back I picked it up for the new tool box.

I thought at Rs 330 it was a little on the expensive side. I asked Bhanubhai to show me something less expensive. But what they gave me didn't seem worth taking home. It would probably rust very soon and it definitely weighed a lot more. I kept it aside. 

Taparia Tool Box

Star keys and a black tape

The 16 inch box

Today I received the Taparia tool box from Amazon. Costs Rs 750 for size 16 inches. There are other smaller and larger options. But I guessed this would serve my purpose. And it does serve my purpose quite well. I managed to fit all my essential tools and some of the infrequently used ones as well. 

There are four chambers on the top for very small items. They recommend keeping nails and screws and other such small hardware. The main box has two chambers. Shallow on top like a tray and a deep one below. I have kept the bare essentials on the tray. The heavier tools are in the main compartment.

That's the shallow tray on top of the box under the main lid. It sits above the deeper chamber. It is more or less adequate for the most frequently used kind of tools and accessories. But it has a problem. There is a handle in the middle that you can hold to pull it out. When you do that, the back of the fingers rub against the slit plastic, which is very sharp. It really hurts and if one is not careful  enough, one might end up with a few bruised fingers.

Black Diamond Moji Tent Lantern

During my Stok Kangri trek of September 2018, where I used my own tent for the entire duration of the trek, I realised a hanging ceiling light for the tent is a serious requirement for smooth camp life. Upon research I found Black Diamond has a few models and this Moji with 100 lumens should be enough for me. This is the most basic and no frills model. I asked my friend Raja Biswas to bring it for me from the UK which he did, like he always does. Unfortunately Raja does not accept money from us for these small items. I think it would have cost him £14, which is an insignificant amount. Moji comes in different colours. Raja chose the most understated colour grey. Thanks for that :-)

The light is smaller than a cricket ball and extremely light. Officially it weighs 122 gm with the batteries. It works with 3 AAA batteries. I hate that it uses an odd number. I wonder if they sell these in odd number. I have to go to the grocer and check it out. The unit didn't come pre-loaded with any battery. Have to buy new ones.

The battery chamber

The battery chamber is easy to open and close. The grey top has a screw on system. It works very smoothly unlike, let's say, my Petzl Tikina.  

There is just one switch to turn the power on or off or change the intensity of the light. I believe it can be used in various settings from 4 lumens to 100 lumens (I am yet to use it properly). The battery life will vary accordingly from 100 hours to 10 hours. In a small tent like mine, I don't think I will need a flood of light all the time. 

My tent does have a pocket on the ceiling where one can place his head torch and it will give out a diffused light. However, I didn't like it. Unless I was going to an expedition where every single gramme counted, I would carry the Moji. Even if I was not using my own tent. This is a very handy thing to have during a hike into the wilderness of Himalayas, even if you are not carrying your own tent. You can use it under various situations. Commercial trekking agencies can give you a tent but they don't provide any light inside. Even in dining tents, available light is pathetic.

A trekking gear has to be light, compact, dependable and hardy. This is light and compact, no doubt. BD is generally a dependable brand. I have two of their items and both are very nice - a head torch and a pair of trekking poles. Whether it is hardy can only be judged after I have used it a few times in the field. The packaging says it offers IPX4 water resistance. This means it is protected against splashing water. So I can use it in rains and dripping water will not spoil it. I cannot immerse it in water and get away with it. I don't think these situations will arise under normal circumstances. Let me see. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Batteries 
I bought three AAA Duracell batteries from the grocer. Each costs Rs 36. The light looks very nice and bright at the highest. Even at the lowest setting it's decently bright for a small tent like mine. The button has to be long pressed for the brightness to be turned up or down. One press is off or on. It has a brightness memory. That is, the lantern lights up from the last set brightness when you turn it on. Here is a photograph of the lit lantern.

At the lowest lumen of 4

Marmot Guide 700 Fill Long Term Review

My friend Sophie brought this jacket for me in 2013 from Germany. Read the original review here. I started using it from 2015. So far I have been to Sandakphu, Chadar, Roopkund and Stok Kangri. This jacket has been through snow fall, rain, minus 30 degree celsius temperatures. It has literally been there done that. 

Therefore I am now qualified enough to write a long term review of the jacket. 

I love this jacket. I cannot imagine going to the Himalayas without it. I have used it as a mid layer, under my Marmot Precip rainwear, as the main jacket, as a pillow in my tent. I have used it in all sorts of applications. And I have always loved owning it.

After the latest Stok Kangri trek where I not only wore it to a height of 6000 meters but also walked in it through snow fall and rain (my rain jacket wasn't with me), I gathered enough courage to wash it.  This is after five years of owning it and wearing it to 4 different treks. I used the Granger liquid soap for that. I was very nervous about it. I thought the down would get all tangled up and never gain back the loft. But it got back to its vintage shape and form in no time when it dried up. Did all the dirt go? No. Most of the marks that I wanted to go are still there. But I think overall the jacket looks cleaner. 

Let me briefly write down what I did so that I myself remember and anyone who wishes to follow in my footsteps finds it easy to follow.

I filled a plastic tumbler with water and poured some Granger liquid in it and stirred it well. After this I soaked the jacket in it. The jacket had a lot of air in it. So it wouldn't sink in the water. From time to time I would carefully turn the jacket inside the water so every square inch got well soaked in the soapy water. 

After a few hours (I guess more than 7/8 hours) I did some very careful hand rubbing of the places where I knew it was dirty without taking the jacket out of the water. Around the cuffs, near the edge of the hood, on the arm etc. I let it soak again. 

Finally I threw the soap water out. It was really dark with dirt. I never took the heavy wet jacket out of the tumbler, like I would if it was a shirt. I filled the tumbler with fresh water again and rinsed the jacket in it so that the soapy water would wash away. After this I quickly took the jacket out of the water and spread it on a thin foam mattress. The idea was to let all the water out of the jacket. Never, ever wring it. Just let it lie flat and let the water go out naturally. Do not even hang it from anywhere. The weight can be dangerous. 

I let the jacket lie like that overnight. In the morning I took to the rooftop where the sun was out in all its glory. Again instead of hanging it I let it lie on the floor. It was still totally wet. I spread it out over a few newspapers. Once the front side was dry, it was turned over. The jacket dried out completely in about 6/8 hours of being in the sun. 

While the jacket was wet, the clumps of down could be felt. I was a little nervous but hopeful that nothing bad would happen. Once it was dry it was back to its old lofty self. Is it cleaner? The dark dirt around the cuffs is still there. But I think overall it looks brighter and cleaner. I will probably clean it again like this after another 4/5 trips to the Himalayas.

I love my Marmot. I hope it lasts forever. 

Black Diamond Walking Sticks

Ready for the expedition

In Chadar I fell down on the frozen river and broke my wrist. Before I could realise I had broken my wrist, I realised I had broken my walking stick. It was an el cheapo unknown stick without a major brand name. It broke somewhere in the middle. Tashi fixed it but I realised that there is more to a walking stick than just being a stick.  

In Amsterdam I had run out of money to buy a pair of sticks. I had bought too many other things. Therefore when Mezda went to the US I got Gublai to buy this pair of Black Diamond sticks for me and used it first during my Stok Kangri trek.

After ten days of using it in the high Himalayan altitude I must say the stick is pretty sturdy. The twist locks could have been a little smoother. The sticks are marked L and R - meaning they are for specific hands. This is not so much about the stick but the wrist band or loop which you wrap around the wrist. One is meant for your left hand while the other for right. I do not really know if it will be a major issue if I didn't use it that way and reversed it. 

Another issue with the wrist band is it is a fixed size of a loop. So in a really cold place if you are using a fat gloves, as I was on the summit day, it might be difficult to slide your hand through it.

Another negative issue - the stick being affordable and commonly available in the west, many other travellers have the exact same thing. In Changma during a tea break another lady confused mine with her. I think I shall put my signature with a black marker pen on my sticks.

Gorilla Tape Camo

Much as I loved using the Marmot Catalyst tent in Stok Kangri (read about it here), I realised the stuffing sack that it comes in is of rather thin material. Perhaps to keep the weight low. But I wasn't too bothered about the weight because the tent was carried by mules and the sack, I found, had a three-inch gash. Lucky that the tent inside was intact and I realised two things from this experience. I need to be more careful about this issue and use sacks that are of thicker material. Second - I need a good tent repair material to be there in my sack, should things go wrong on the way.

After some googling and amazoning I realised that the famous Gorilla tape is now available in India, albeit at a hefty price relative to what they cost in the US. I ordered for one from the Indian Amazon site. It cost me a total of Rs 1100. Outrageous. But if you forget about price, the tape looks and feels like bomb proof.

Gorilla tapes come in different sizes and colours. They have the traditional black. They also have clear tapes. I chose the third option which is the camouflage colour. I am not sure but there might be fourth option of white. Sizes are different in terms of width and length and the price naturally varies accordingly. The size I went for is 1.88 inch wide and 9 yards long, which is fine for me.

The first thing I did is used it to seal the gash on my tent sac. Well, it was easy to do the job. I can pass a judgement only after it is tested over a period of time in rain and shine. Essentially I cleaned the sac around the gash. Cut a strip that is longer than the gash. I held the cloth with a thick newspaper inside and applied the tape. There was no crease or anything. The tape is hand tearable. But I used a pair of scissors. I rounded off the four edges with the scissors, so that the corners don't come up later. I would probably wash it after a few days. That will give me some idea about how it holds after the wash. 

I wanted to also use it to repair the rain cover for the Deuter. It is really badly torn. I had given it as check in baggage and they just tore it apart. I realised the tear is too large for this tape. Must be wider than 2 inches. A gaping hole, to be precise. I think I will get the hole stitched with a patch and then cover it with this tape. Because it is really good as a rain cover.

I cannot use either of these covers when I hand the items over to someone else. Whether it is a horseman in Ladakh or an airline luggage crew in Germany. They are equally bad.

This Gorilla tape is going to be one of the first items I put in my trekking sac if I go anywhere with the tent. Meanwhile, I have to get a more thick material for covering both the tent and the Deuter. I guess I will talk to Alpine in Ballygunge Place.

Getting Ready for Stok

Rab Trek Gaiter

Today the Rab Trek Gaiter that I had bought off Amazon for Rs 2100 arrived. I bought it in size Medium. Good delivery speed. The seller is Trek Kit. They have a website of their own but I preferred to go through Amazon (same price) because their refund policies are great. I have had bad experiences with sellers who directly sell on Amazon (as opposed to the ones who sell through Amazon Fulfilled). 

I tried them on with the Meindl on this evening at home. I bought it now for the anticipated Stok Kangri trek coming up in September. The material is rip stop and seemed good. But it does not mention whether it is a three layered or what. It is certainly not Goretex lined. Therefore it can be assumed that it is not the most top of the line stuff. But I am fine to settle with something that is a little below the top of the line. 

There is a thick Velcroed flap with a push button on top and at the bottom. There is also a good fat zip that runs from top to bottom. The system is such that the closure runs down the shin bone. The strap that you use to buckle up is a rubbery material. I hope it is strong enough. This strap or belt is not fixed to one side with the buckle on the other end. Both the sides are loose. So you can pull it up from either side or both. There is a written advice on both ends to tighten it properly the first time and then trim it off. 

Like a good old middle class person with his typical middle class insecurities, I refuse to cut anything that came OE. I will see how to adjust it from both the ends and ensure that I do not trip on the loose end. 

There is an elastic around the ankle. There is also a rope to tighten it at the top (below the knee). There is a small hook in the front that you attach to the lace of your boots. 

So far so good. I shall see how it performs in Stok. A pair of gaiter is necessary in snow. It can also be worn in any hiking trip to keep the feet protected against loose twigs and pebbles etc. It can also offer some protection against water and help keep the feet dry. The advice is, wear it under the rainwear. 

I will have to observe how water proof it is and how durable it is. I intend to wear it every day while walking in the Himalayas. Not just in snow. During the Roopkund trek they gave me a very basic pair of gaiters. Those were made by Alpine in Calcutta. Hopefully these will be better in terms of look and feel and durability. I would have preferred for Rab to give us a small sack to pack these in. Gaiters tend to get muddy after the trek. So to bring them back home in your regular sack you will need to pack them in a plastic carry bag.

A Travelling Shirt

Of late I have become very fond of these new age technical material for sportswear. One great quality about them that appeals to me is their packability. They can be folded into a small ball and take very little space when you are packing. They are also easy to wash and quick to dry and obviously are very light. I was meaning to get for myself a travelling shirt for quite some time now but was undecided because they cost quite a packet. I already have a pair of cargo trousers from Marmot and a few T-shirts (Under Armour and Max). A shirt would complete the scene.

Two days ago I pulled the trigger on a Columbia travel shirt from their website here. This was with an eye on the forthcoming Stok Kangri trek. It was available at a good discount for Rs 1800. The shirt is yet to reach me. But I can always type down the details here. It's a Silver Ridge Long Sleeve in size medium and colour cypress purchased for Rs 1800 online from the Colombia India online store.

July 30, 2018

After a lot of back and forth mailing the shirt finally came home today. After placing the order they wrote back to me that they don't have my shirt in the size I had ordered. They can offer a coupon code with which I can make another purchase. There was no option for a full refund.

I had half a mind to buy a more expensive shirt (which apart from a superior fabric offers zippered pockets) but when I asked them for a coupon code they went silent. I then realised or assumed that they probably don't have the technology to generate a coupon code. So I ordered the same shirt in size L because I had read in the meanwhile in some online review that the shirts are a bit on the smaller side and one should order for a size higher than regular. This order was promptly answered and the order was executed.

But I have a word or two to say about the packaging. It's terrible. They used a very thin packaging material and packed it tight. I could have easily torn it apart while using my scissors to cut it open. In comparison, Adidas provides such fantastic boxes that we have ended up keeping all three of them. The Columbia brand is in the hands of some ghatia lala in India, for sure.

Now the shirt itself. Very nice cypress colour. Deep green. Size L is perfect for me. Though going by their sizing chart my size should be M. The pocket's closure leaves a lot to be desired. A very small square of a velcro. Also the flap does not fully open as the corner is stiched. The pocket is not meant for keeping anything very important, probably only small change.

There is a mesh vent in the under arm area. We will have to see how effective that is. There is also a loop for rolling up the sleeves.

The fabric is thin making the shirt very light. Very nice Marmot Transcend like feel. Perhaps thinner because that's after all a pair of trousers. Eqully smooth. Looks like water repellant. We shall see about that very soon.

Field Test Report After Stok Kangri

Somewhere outside Stok village

Wore this as a layer over my base layer of mostly black HD Lee during the 2018 September trek to Stok Kangri. The shirt is very light. Has two useful pockets. Packs really small. But one major disadvantage of the shirt is that it takes a relatively long time to dry off, if it gets wet.

Otherwise it's nice. It's not supposed to be a winter hiking shirt. But I used it and it worked fine so far as being a shirt was concerned. Just that the fabric does not have any special water repellant coating, like my Marmot cargo trousers. That dries really fast. This shirt got a bit wet on my penultimate day when I was walking towards Mankarmo from the base camp. Next morning it really took some time to dry out, despite being spread in the sun over a tent. So, possibly I will not buy another of this for trekking. But there is no reason to discard it either. It can be a decent shirt for my long drive trips. 

Long Nose Pliers & Adjustable Spanner

Today I had gone to the Bentinck Street area and took the opportunity to get for myself a pair of Long Nose Pliers (Taparia 1430N 170 mm) and an Adjustable Spanner (Taparia 1171N-8 205 mm). Together they cost me Rs 410. One for Rs 220 and the other for Rs 190. I can't remember which one cost how much. 

I bought them from my tested and trusted small tools supplier - Bhanubhai Desai on the corner of the lane in which you have the ABP office. Taparia is a good brand to go for. But I think the internet offers more choice and better price for these tools vis-a-vis Bhanubhai. Taparia itself has several types of long nose pliers. There is another type whose tips are pointed. Mine are rounded. Then there are various sizes. I am not even talking about various other brands that are available on Amazon or Flipkart. 

This is not really a review of the tools for their performance. Just a diary note to remember when I bought them and for how much. The spanner has a small measuring scale to measure the size of the gap/nut. I wonder if anyone uses it with any serious intent and purpose. But it looks cool. The nut with which you slide the spanner to adjust the size could be smoother. It gets stuck sometimes. It should smoothen up with use. But I don't have daily use of these tools. Specific tools are needed for specific types of work. If the right tool is not there for the right job, the work does not get done. 

The pair of pliers seemed a little small for my grip. The spanner is also not the largest. It's just 8 inches long. Longer would give better leverage but weigh more and take more space if I travel with it. 

Anker Solar Charger

Ever since Mezda brought me the Anker solar charger I have not had a chance to test it out. It has been cloudy almost every Sunday. Today I saw a nice beam of sunlight coming through the window in our bedroom. This was at around 3 pm after my late Sunday lunch. 

I set up the charger on the mattress which is laid on the floor (we don't use any bed but sleep on the floor instead). It is very very simple. Just unfold it, lay it out in the sun and connect the USB chord to whatever you want to charge. In my case I charged our power bank. What I realised is that it works perfect when the sun is strong. If it gets cloudy it stops charging. Obviously solar chargers will work only when the sun is out. There is a red light that glows showing that the charging mechanism is on. 

I will have to do a more thorough experiment to see how fast it charges a power bank or a phone.  

I intend to take it on my treks where charging the phone and other devices can be an issue because there is no electricity in the Indian Himalaya. Let me see how it works in the field. One can also use it in the car on office days. My car stays parked out in the open and under the strong sun. 

Missing Link

The front view of the missing links

Today I got for myself a couple of new "missing links" from the Giant store on Bentinck Street. It cost me Rs 150 each. Way cheaper than the online price of something like Rs 1800 for a pack of six links. Bums on the Saddle was selling one at Rs 520 plus Rs 250 for courier.

This is not really a gear for review. It is neither a gear nor a review. This is more of keeping record of the things I have and at what price. This will go into my saddle bag for road trips. It is highly unlikely that my chain would break on the road, given the low mileage that I clock and the top class maintenance of the chain. But no harm being prepared. Also, I learnt a lesson from Rana's example the other day when I had a puncture. Even if you don't need something on the road, a friend might need it and if you have it ready no harm helping him out.

Instructions on the reverse

I have explained the use of a missing link in another post. Read about it here You keep it in the saddle bag to use if your chain is broken. You also need a chain breaker tool to use it. I had said in the other post that I do not have a missing link. Now I have.

Giant is the Indian importer of KMC chains. I found this on the KMC international website. I had enquired about this item the other day with them over phone and was assured that they do have it. Today from work I went to pick up Monisha. We had some time before going to pick up Mampu from her tuition near Southern Avenue. I took the opportunity to go to Giant. While I waited in the car (getting parking on Bentinck Street on a working day evening is impossible) Monisha went to the store and got it for me.

I must mention that this link is called by different names by different manufacturers. KMC calls it a Missing Link. SRAM calls it a Power Lock. Shimano calls it a Quick Link. I prefer to call them master links. The Shimano and SRAM links are apparently not reusable. These KMCs are. I think 9 speed links are reusable but 11 speed ones aren't.

If I ever get a broken chain on the road I will use the missing link to come back home. I am certain of that. But I am equally certain that the first thing I will do before the next ride is replace the chain. A chain that breaks once will be prone to break again. But I will keep the once used link for another emergency. 

Lowepro Flipside 400

I have kept the following items in my Lowepro Flipside 400. It is stored on the last cabinet of our wardrobe in the bed room.

Giotto blower
Cleaning pen, yellow and blue cloth (all in a plastic zip lock pack)
Lexar 8 GB x 2
Sandisk 8 GB + 4 GB (one each)
Lens back cap and camera body cover - 2 sets
Yellow 7D battery back cover

Topeak Tyre Pressure Gauge

Last night went to Mezda's house and brought home the goodies they brought for me from America.

Yet to be unpacked

Of course, I had paid for them but thanks to Gublai and Mezda/Boudi for the help in terms of buying them on my behalf and then carrying them here. I had procured three items. A pair of trekking poles from Black Diamond, an Anker solar charger and a Topeak smart digital tyre pressure gauge. 

The first item that I unpacked was the Topeak tyre pressure gauge.  The official name of the unit is Topeak SmartGauge D2. I attacked it first because this is the item that is necessary almost on a day to day basis. The most attractive feature of this gauge, which is why I bought it, is that it can measure the tyre pressure from both Presta and Schrader. It's digital and the measuring unit can be any three - psi, bar and kg/cm2. I chose psi because that's the unit we still use here in India (though every thing else is in metric system).

Features explained

The unit is battery operated. Last time when I had a puncture on the road I came home with 20 psi pressure in the front tyre. That's because I didn't realise how much air I had pumped. I just felt the pressure with my fingers and it seemed fine. Filling a tyre with 20 psi pressure when it requires nothing less than 60/70 is potentially dangerous. If you hit a pot hole or a stone you might get snake bite leaks. If I had this in my saddle bag that wouldn't happen. So getting a tyre pressure gauge for the saddle bag is a must. The problem with gauges is that in India you get only Schrader valve gauges - basically for cars. Presta pressure gauge is unheard of. Even in the West they aren't so common. My two bicycles have two different types of valves. Mampu's is an even third type but in terms of pumping or gauging it is as good as a Schrader. Technically it's called a Dunlop valve.  Life becomes easier if you have a gauge that can check both type. In fact if you think about it, I have a car, a motorcycle, three bicycles. I have to measure tyre pressure of all these. And this can gauge them all. Like one size fits all answer to my pressure gauging.

Therefore, when I saw that here was a gauge at $32 that can measure both the types I just grabbed it.

The unit feels fairly robust and well made, despite being made of plastic and in Taiwan. It runs on a small button cell battery (the supplied battery is a Sony). You turn the machine on, choose the valve type by turning the switch as per requirement. The valve shape is illustrated so that even confirmed idiots don't mess it up. Then you just hold it on the valve and press it in. Of course before that turn the cap of the valve loose, like you would if you were to pump the tube. This is for the Presta valve. There is a small beep and you can see the reading. There is a small amount of pressure loss when you engage the unit. But that, I suppose, is negligible.

I am yet to use it on my Schrader valve tube. But interestingly enough, the mouth of the nozzle does not change the shape whether you turn it to Presta or Schrader, like it does in a pump. I shall see tonight how it works on the car. I think I am going to carry this in my saddle bag from now on and also when I go long distance driving. I have asked Mampu to make a small cloth bag for it. Don't want to put too many scratches on it just yet.

The unit has another useful feature. Suppose you want 60 psi pressure and you find the tyre has 70, you can put it on the tune mode and slowly release the pressure bit by bit by pressing the yellow star like button and the display shows the change continuously - just like in petrol pumps. This will be convenient and useful for those who do not have a pump with a pressure gauge. My home pump has it but the road pump does not. But then overfilling a tube with that Park Tool pump is perhaps out of question.

Language, Timothy, language

Smart Entertainment

On Monday, 4th June, we got two new so called "smart" gadgets into the house. A smart LG TV for the drawing room and a smart turbo trainer for my room. The TV is 43 inches in size. Pretty big, compared to the almost pocket sized Samsung that we had. We bought it on zero cost EMI from Bajaj Finance. I think the final negotiated price was 40K+. We bought it from Great Eastern on Lansdowne Road.

The other smart thing is an indoor cycle turbo trainer from Elite. 

Finish Line Dry Lube

Finally bought this chain lubricant for the cycle. From the Firefox outlet in Bentinck Street. They charged me Rs 670 for this small tube. Each drop of this lube that falls on the floor will give me as much pain as each blood droplets that sometimes used to fall from an open injury in my childhood days when we would play on the streets. Jokes aside, as a percentage of the total cost of the bicycle it is an insignificant amount though. 

I had cleaned my bike fairly thoroughly a few weeks ago and at that time applied Motul motorcycle chain lube. Read about it here . Just a gentle spray which I wiped clean after application. I find that of late the chain looks dirty and sticky. It does not bend around the cogs smoothly. I think I should not have put the motorcycle lube on bicycle chain. Motorcycle chain lubes are supposed to be thicker as the friction generated by a motorcycle chain is very high. Bicycle chains remain a lot cooler and therefore require thinner grade oil. I knew this theory but I didn't think it would make much of a difference. But having closely seen the chain recently during wheel take off and on, I saw how the chain has become less flexible. 

I then bought a chain cleaning kit from IceToolz. Read about it here. It came with a bottle of chain cleaner concentrate. I did not use it because I didn't have the lube. Cleaning the chain thoroughly without lubing it up might be even worse than not cleaning at all. That's one of the reasons why I went to this store to get the lube. There is no online retailer that sells it. Getting Muck Off online is easier. That's also a big global brand but somehow I like the name Finish Line. It's the inventor of dry lube. Let me see how this works and I will update this review with more content after I actually clean my chain and lube it up.

Apparently this lube leaves a white mark on the chain which makes it easier to see which link has not been lubed. I am curious to see how that works.

Adidas Compression Socks

Bought a pair of running socks from Adidas. The official name is quite a mouthful. Unisex Running Essential Compression Socks. I chose size 404M for my UK 8 feet. These cost me Rs 499 with free delivery in a beautifully made cardboard box. The socks are black with yellow markings. They run up to the knees. 

The compression is not very hard and the feeling is very comfortable. There is cushioning under the arch, toes and heel. Even where there is no cushioning the material is fairly thick.  These are technical socks. So the left sock (marked L) is for left foot and the right sock (marked R) is for the right foot. The material is described by Adidas in this language. Made of 59% Polyester, 37% Polyamide, 3% Elastane and 1% Others

I wore them last evening in the office itself and didn't take them off because they were so comfortable. I have never worn any socks that are as comfortable as these. Even back home I didn't take them off and changed into my shorts and T and went for a round of skipping. 50x3 plus 27 of left right drill. Didn't feel the plantar fasciitis pain. I intend to do this every evening till the Stok Kangri trek. In fact I think one can easily take these for high altitude treks as well. Apart from being comfortable and giving compression to the feet, these might be quick to dry. I have to find that out though. 

Now I have to see how durable they are and how many miles they last. I would be happy if they lasted 200 km. At this price it's a steal. No doubt.

IceToolz Degreaser and Scrubber

This IceToolz chain scrubber came in with the other two items that I wrote about a couple of days ago - the Merida lock and IceToolz puncture repair kit. Same source. Exad Sports. It cost me Rs 700 plus a steep 30 per cent tax, thanks to the recently introduced GST. The pack comes with a scrubber and a bottle of concentrated degreaser. Looks pretty simple in the company video. Actual use will prove the real simplicity.  Here is a link to the video

The degreaser has to be diluted with water at 1:10 ratio. I don't know how simple it will be to attach the strap to the frame. But I realised that the chain should be on the smallest cog in the cassette. Otherwise there isn't much space. The Park Tool video on chain cleaning is, as usual with all the company's videos, very educative.

The first impression of holding the machine in hand is it's very delicate. The scrubber brush inside also looks very delicate and fine. The cover has to be done and undone several times to get a hang and feel of it. It's also very small. After this breaks I will possibly upgrade to a Park Tool scrubber.

Here is a basic step by step guide. First you remove the cover. Fill in a bit of the concentrate after removing the black cog over which the chain moves. Next add the cog and then water. Ten times dilution ratio is recommended. Apparently the degreaser is water soluble. Next, with the top cover removed, place the chain over the black plastic wheel/cog inside the scrubber in line with the two openings at the two sides. Then put the lid. The lid slides through a notch. Now you can attach the plastic strap to the frame. 

Merida Bicycle Lock

Yesterday I also got a lock for my bicycle (apart from the chain cleaner and puncture repair kit) from Extreme Adventure Sports. A Merida combination lock. Once again it is green, like my helmet :-) A colour that I hate. Exad are the official importers of Merida in India and I had got my red road bicycle from them. This lock cost me Rs 620 plus 30 per cent tax.

I set the combination to my usual combination for ATM cards. It came factory fitted to 0000. Here is the instruction set below. Nothing very difficult. Only thing to remember - when you set the combination, keep the other end of the rope out of the lock. It comes inserted inside the lock. 

Instructions for setting up combination

These locks are not thief proof. A serious bicycle thief needs just a decent rope cutter to steal anything locked with this. I bought it for casual locking during my day trips around the city. Like I want to go to a loo or some such short breaks like that. This is certainly not for overnight locking on the street or where you regularly go and keep it locked for hours in the open. Thieves notice all that and come prepared to steal. With the right tool it is a few seconds' job really. 

I believe it is 120 cm long, which is about 4 feet and 1 cm thick. I have kept it coiled around the seat post under the saddle. Looks a little ungainly there but it cannot be helped. If I ever go out on a multi-day tour I will have to carry a thick steel chain. That will perhaps be even more ungainly. 

Ice Toolz Puncture Repair Kit

Today I got for myself a small tin box from Extreme Adventure Sports. They are the India importers of various brands and products that I find very useful. I like the idea of their business. I got for myself an Icetoolz branded bicycle puncture repair kit (among other things). It cost me Rs 213 plus 30 per cent tax - so about Rs 275 I guess. I have one punctured tube at home and I found it difficult to get it fixed from ordinary tyre repair stores. Hence I bought this kit for myself. More out of anger at lack of availability for useful service than anything else. I may not require this very often. But I need my own stuff when I need it. Read about my trials and tribulations with trying to get a puncture repaired here in Calcutta. Click here

The kit comes in a smart and cute tin box. It has three tyre levers which can be clicked into one composite unit, a 10 ml tube of sealing cement, 18 patches of different sizes and a small thin tube which is technically known as valve hose. Our mechanics call them "valtube", a corruption of valve tube. There is also a small piece of sandpaper for filing up the punctured area. There are ten patches that require sealing glue.

And then there are eight patches like band aids, which are possibly glueless patches. I have to get a clarity on this as it is not explained in the kit. I have my Park Tool tyre levers but that will remain in my saddle bag for on road use. This tin is for home repair of punctured tubes. I don't know but if I ever go on multi-day trips I might carry this kit with me instead of carrying too many new spare tubes.

I have yet to use this. I intend to fix my own punctured tube tomorrow. Once I am done I shall report again.

This morning (Sunday 13th May, 2018) I fixed the puncture in my old tube. For the first time in life, of course. Very basic and easy to do. Obviously. Illiterates on the street also do it. But yes, they do it every day and several times a day. Will write down the steps.

The full kit

1. Get all the damn things in place. The repair patch, cement/glue (mechanics call it rubber solution), sandpaper, marker, pump, the tube and a mug of water. The mug should have a wide mouth. Else get a tumbler.

2. Pump the tube up. If the hole is really small, like in my case, pump the tube really fat. Push the tube inside the water starting from the valve (keep the valve above water). Once you locate the hole (bubbles would come out) mark a circle around it. I used a green marker. Next time I will use a chalk. Our mechanics insert a match stick in the hole.

3. Deflate the tube. The circle drawn with the marker will shrink. Better to make a larger circle. Rub the sandpaper gently over the circle. If you are buying your own sandpaper go for the thinnest grade meant for cleaning steel. They come in a deep blue, almost black colour. Certainly not the yellow grade meant for wood.

4. Apply the cement over the filed area. Keep it thin. Let it dry on the tube for 3/4 minutes. Meanwhile get the patch ready. There are three layers. The top cellophane, the actual patch (black round thing inside an orange round circle) and an aluminium foil. Take off the aluminium foil making sure the cellophane does not come off.

5. Once the cement is dry apply the patch with the cellophane side up. Use something to smoothen out the patch so that no air is trapped inside. I used the head of the tyre levers. Now take off the cellophane.

6. Pump up again and test it. Mine was successful in the first go and here is the result of my first fix.

My first repaired tube

Tuesday 15th May, 2018

The previous fix that I did – the first one in my life – was a failure. After the fix, I inflated the tube and tested it in watera. No bubbles. I left the tube inflated overnight. After some time the tube seemed to have got thinner. By the next day it was obvious that the patch had failed. I pumped it up and tested it again. Indeed bubbles were coming out. Very slow. One bubble per second or slower. But a failure nevertheless.

I saw this new video from the Park Tool website. They had a few tips that I did not know and did not follow. Tip number 1. Do not leave the tube inflated outside the tyre. It weakens the bond. 2. Do not scratch off the cellophane paper.

This evening I decided to have another go and took off the old patch. I got some lime from the pan shop infront of the office because the red marker that I had was not leaving any mark whatsoever. Wet lime when it gets dry can be a good temporary marker on any black surface which I applied with a tooth pick. About half an inch away from the puncture on the four sides of the spot

Sanded off the area. Applied glue and waited. Last time I had applied too much glue I suppose. Next applied the patch. I chose a slightly rectangular one, which is a mistake I made. This 23 tube is really thin. It was sticking out at the edges. The bigger patches are meant for mountain bikes.

I got a screwdriver to press the patch with (back of the handle, of course). The problem with the location of the puncture is that it is just behind the valve. A tough paper for a new examinee. Perhaps the most difficult spot. I cannot hold the tube flat on the ground or on some hard surface and press it really hard, as it should be. I had to hold it in my left hand keeping the valve pointing down between the fingers and press it.

I took off the front wheel and did a real replacement. By the way, I used a real stop clock and found I did the job of complete replacement in exactly 10 min 45 seconds. As I had said earlier, I will bring it down to 5/6 minutes. But I must admit that I didn’t use the small hand pump. I used the floor standing one.

I pumped the tube upto 100 psi and have kept the bike on the floor, resting against the wall. Waiting for the result to come in. It should be obvious by late night if not tomorrow. When the puncture first developed it used to go flat overnight or over a few days. I have time till Sunday. If it goes flat then I know it is a repeat failure. If it does not then I am fine with this repaired tube for rides around the city. In any case I have the spare in the saddle bag.

Wednesday 16th May, 2018

This morning the tyre looked tight enough to give me some confidence. Will check out how it holds out till the evening. I am in a slight dilemma as to what to do if the pressure holds. Do I keep this inside and let it be my principal tube or shall I replace it with the Maxxis? 

6:45 PM Update

The pressure is holding strong till now. I guess this is a success. I will see till Friday and then take a call whether to go out with this on Saturday or change it back to the new Maxxis.

Friday 18th May, 2018

I checked the pressure this morning at around 9 am. It was 90. Two days ago I had pushed it from 90 to 100 psi. I guess it's a success. Some air loss in a high pressure tube is to be expected. If it goes flat in a couple of days then it is a matter of concern. Otherwise it's fine.