Bertwo
The bike to go to Istanbul with. The frame already made it to Oslo. For the new challenge, it got a new paint job: Malachite Metallic Green - the exact colour code of my fathers car.
Removing the old colour is a time consuming and very rewarding process. The underlying frame is still in great condition. I am not sure I have fully nailed the preparation process yet. The sanding is done with great care and I now even use an ‘adhesion promoter’ prior to the primer. But especially on the lugs, paint does not adhere particularly well. Still, overall I am very pleased how it came out.
The rear cantilever brakes are the originals from 24 years ago - the mechanism is so simple and robust, it was very easy to service them into great working condition.
On the Roberts I had taped over the Ro and the s to named the bike Bert. As its successor, this bike is called Bertwo. The main innovation of Bertwo is the dynamo front hub, which connects to a DC converter mounted to the handlebars, so that any devices that need charging can sit in the front bag.
The wheels are a little bit risky for a touring bike: Mavic Open Pro 700C with 32 triple crossed spokes only (the Roberts are 26" with 36 spokes). And the tyres are a modest 28mm (front) and 32mm (rear). For safety, we are on trusty puncture resistant Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres.
