I have just got back from what has become an annual event, my two
weeks or so in France, in recent years with the Street Machine. Took
European Bike Express to Bordeaux with the intention of cycling to
Orange, with perhaps a bit of touring in the Camargue. In the region
of 500 miles or so I guess, over 17 days.

I took the Piste Roger Lapebie out of Bordeaux, a 55 km cycle path on
an old railway track. At about 45 km the freewheel on the Street
Machine broke. I had to push the last 10km to Sauveterre-de-Guyenne.
There was a cycle mechanic in what is quite a small town, who set
about getting a new freewheel. Over the next couple of days I came to
realise that the rear hub is not a well-known make at all. It had
something like "Quatro TX" written on it, but was not Shimano as I had
assumed. The shop was not able to source a freewheel. They were also
not able to source a new hub, something about 32 spokes not being
normal, all wheels of this type with disc brakes are 36 spokes m'sieu.
Anyway the inevitable French weekend then arrived, so I was stuck in
Sauveterre for 5 days altogether, eventually buying a complete new
back wheel. I then had to reschedule the rest of the holiday, 5 days
is a bug chunk of 17 to lose.

I must say I was very disappointed that the hub on such an expensive
bike (especially as I bought the disc brake and the transmission
upgrades) was of an unbranded variety where parts could not be sourced
easily. This is meant to be a touring bike after all.

So beware any Street Machine owners out there, your expensive bike has
some cheap components in it.

Pete

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Peter Grange