CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

10 x 8 Greenhouse / Moped / 2 Seater Sofa & Armchair for me Jim.

Lot to be said for old technology, 'Computer Says No' doesn't apply to those WM's that's for sure, Jim.

That article on the Xantia btw (someone posted it on one of the Threads), wow; talk about praise!!

Not far Michel, pm heading your way

[Zelandeth]

Goodness, been a while since I've seen one of them...our old next door neighbour had one for a while, had to fix the program timer a couple of times (I must have been about 12 at the time)...

[andy5]

Big load anecdote: full size telegraph pole in/out the back of a Volvo 221, back seat and split tailgate down, a friend sat on the inner end of it with head or shoulders braced against the roof

(only about half a mile, and not on a public road)

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

now that is going some! So there's a limit even to the loads a Volvo can carry!

[CitroJim]

Big load anecdote: full size telegraph pole in/out the back of a Volvo 221,

Now that's a serious load... I've dragged a full-size telegraph pole on the end of a rope and they are certainly heavy!

Did an interesting little job yesterday... In Saturday one of our parkrun stopwatches died. Luckily we always use two as runners are very keen to know their times... On the one that failed the Lap/Split button stopped working and given that has to be pressed for every runner that''s a lot of switch operations...

With nothing to loose I had a look at fixing it. On opening the thing I found the 'switches' to start, stop and lap count are no more than bits of bent tin that the button itself deforms to make a contact... The Lap/Split bit of bent tin had suffered metal fatigue and fallen off...

I re-engineered it by taking a fine piece of very flexible wire and soldered one end to the button plunger and the other end to the switching plate making sure the bit of the wire that flexes was not tinned as this would make it brittle...

So far, after two days of intensive testing it seems to be successful...

The quality of construction of this stopwatch is dreadful but then they are very cheap for such a device. It has a 500 lap memory and times are downloadable to the parkrun windows app via a very delicate and 'iffy' USB port...

You can see the essence of all I've written above in the picture below:

Own Work

If it's not successful it's not a problem as a replacement is on its way from parkrun event support

[CitroJim]

I have some new wheels

As my driving decreases I find myself riding more and more in Milton Keynes on the 'Redway' cycle routes. These are rough in places and my road bikes don't cope with them at all well. Ditto potholes - of which we have plenty...

So I got hold of a properly light gravel/adventure bike...

Own Work

This is the cycling equivalent to a 4X4 SUV and will happily go off-road... Unlike an SUV it is neither bulky nor heavy...

It's very light and has tubeless tyres...

The ride is akin to a featherbed; potholes and rough surfaces cease to exist

I'm looking forward to taking it on some serious off-road adventures soon, especially down in the New Forest...

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

can see how that ticks a number of boxes Jim, have never actually seen such anything quite like it. Nice to see the return of Drop Handlebars too; thought they were a thing of the past.

Give some serious thought to how you lock it up and insure it if you're going to be leaving it in town while shopping or similar.

NB: Pot-Holes - our UK weather must be something really special: French, Belgian and Dutch road surfaces are a whole different ball park to British ones.

[CitroJim]

It's an evolution of the traditional cyclo-cross bike Puxa...

Don't worry, it's fully insured and I have a very secure lock for it that loops through both wheels. The lock weighs more than the bike

Been out for a quick blast on it and got soaked in a massive storm

It's both seriously quick and a blast Boxes well and truly ticked!

Tubeless tyres are just wonderful... The hydraulic discs work well too. I'd never go back to tubed tyres now.... No need to carry a pump and puncture repair kit, just a small cylinder of CO2 and valve to top them up if need be...

[CitroJim]

My new gravel bike is absolutely stunningly good... Went for a good ride on it yesterday and averaged just over 16mph That's not far off what I'd do on one of my roadies... Awesome for such a bike with it's chunky treaded off-road tyres and considerably heavier aluminium frame...

The secret seems to be in the low rolling resistance of the tubeless tyres...

The brakes are getting good now they're bedding in. They are unusual as the brake levers connect to the hydraulic master cylinder block via short lengths of Bowden cable and from there on they are hydraulic...

Spent most of yesterday at a vintage wireless fair in Leamington Spa... I travelled there and back in the passenger seat of a Pug 308CC with the top down... Very nice

I got hold of a very tidy vintage FM tuner I've been after for a long while and a nice near-vintage CD deck for a very silly price

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

16mph is really good going Jim. To have the chunky tyres without the massive rolling resistance that I'm familiar with when my own cheap & nasty ATB shod with 26 x 2.125's gets some use is a clever trick.

...and the stopping ability to go with the speed too

Wind in the hair motoring sounds nice, had to google the 308cc, see what it looks like. Not my thing, but fun all the same; wouldn't turn my nose up at a 206CC or 306 Drop top; but deeply impractical for a one car household such as mine.

Looking forward to seeing a pic (or Make & Model) of the FM Tuner.

[CitroJim]

My bike runs tubeless 700x40C tyres Puxa... The slightly bigger diameter helps I reckon but yes, it's seriously good and every ride impresses me more...

Having tubeless tyres on my sportive bike and finding them magical I'm firmly convinced they are the only tyres to have on a bike...

The 308CC is gorgeous... The one I rode in was a top of the shop model - the Roland Garros. It looks especially good in white...

Watching the roof do its thing is poetry in motion... I could watch it all day but shudder at the thought of anything going wrong with it

Looking forward to seeing a pic (or Make & Model) of the FM Tuner.

One of these

Enjoyaudio.com

It sounds as good as it looks!

[bobins]

The 308CC is gorgeous... The one I rode in was a top of the shop model - the Roland Garros. It looks especially good in white...

It wasn't a 2009ish 308cc with the 2.0Hdi, was it ? If so, there's a good chance that one used to belong to my father in law as there aren't that many Garros 308 around I think he had the DPF fluid bag fall off and the DMF replaced in his time with it. Lovely cars, as you say. I spent many a mile wedged in the back being driven around the Suffolk countryside with the top down - he insisted on opening the top if the temperature was above about 10c

[CitroJim]

No, not that one Bobins... The owner of the one in question is owned by an old friend of mine and he bought it brand-new in late 2014.

It is the 2.0HDi and gosh, does it go when he steps on the loud pedal... Thing that impresses me is that even with the roof down and hurtling along at 70mph it's very quiet, there's no wind or wind-noise and the engine is incredibly smooth and refined... You'd never, ever think it was an oil-burner under the bonnet...

Paul drives his top-down at every opportunity! It seems to have a very capable heating system to cope with topless driving in cold weather...

[CitroJim]

Goodbye all, I am now about to complete my final logoff from the FCF.

It's been fun and I've much enjoyed my association with the forum but the end has now come. My ever deteriorating cognitive deficit now spells the end for much that needs any intellectual endeavour.

I can now only drive with great difficulty and as a result my interest in all things car is now very much diminished apart from a little light spannering.

I will from now on only be on Facebook and Strava. Anyone who wishes to keep in touch with my adventures are more than welcome to become my friend there...

From now on I shall be concentrating on my cycling and running; two activities that have no place on a car forum...

My best wishes to one and all...

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

very sad, Jim, Best Wishes likewise and thank you for all your help. Hope that the fulfilment you find find in the cycling and running more than compensates