After months of preparation, Hornsby finally made her debut today. There was some last-minute preparation: aligning the rear wheel and pumping up the tires. And then the Garmin mount was oriented wrong, so the unit was sitting crosswise atop the stem. I fixed that only to find the Garmin wouldn’t fit, with the stem cap and bolts getting in the way. I searched through my spares and realized what was missing: the molded gasket that fits between the Garmin mount and the stem. With that in place, at last the Garmin was ready.

The first order of business was a series of panic stops to bed in the new brake pads. After the first hard stop, the rear wheel went cockeyed and was rubbing the chainstay. I realized the quick release skewer wasn’t tight enough, so I sorted that out while straightening the wheel again. After that I made a few more hard stops, including a skid, and then started the clock.

My route took me along the Kitazawa River Green Way en route to Gotokuji. The greenery was placid but the boulevard was narrow and twisting, meaning proceeding with caution and patience.

The first landmarks on the route were Gotokuji, the former family temple of the Ii clan when the area was known as the Hikone domain, and the nearby former residence of Theodora Ozaki, a translator of Japanese short stories and fairy tales.

Garmie gives up

While walking around Gotokuji and backtracking for the Ozeki residence, the Garmin lost the thread of the route. After wandering in circles for a bit, I oriented myself with my phone to a nearby known landmark — Setagaya Ward Office — and from there continued along my regular commuting route until I reached Futako Tamagawa. (I checked the plotted route after arriving home and realized I’d missed Shoin Jinja. Another time … )

There was no place to sit in the shade at the small park in Futako where I stopped, but I found a place to stand under a tree as I had a snack and drank some Pokari. Before continuing home I lowered the saddle about half a centimeter, and that seems to have been an improvement.

At a crossing I pass through twice each day I commute by bicycle, I noticed for the first time a sign for Tsurumaki Shrine. Although the temperature was already reaching 33C, I knew I could spare a minute to get a snap of the shrine before continuing on my way home.

I was a little disappointed with Garmie getting his knickers in a twist, but the resulting shortcut allowed me to get home on the dot of 10 a.m., before the sun really turned up the heat. Meanwhile I had an enjoyable, meandering ride, with a moving average of 16.2km/h on a moving time of 1:46:18.

To-do list

Everything worked pretty well on the shakedown ride. The shifting was swift and silent and nearly flawless, thanks to a new chain and cogs. There’s occasionally some hesitation on the upshifts (moving to a smaller cog), so I’ll have a go at the B-limit adjustment.

The local bike shop was not open today, so I haven’t yet been able to get the tires properly seated on the rims. It was noticeable towards the end of the ride today.

The good and the bad

I love the bicycle. It feels light and springy, and is more nimble than Kuroko. The handling is very balanced, as I learned in a skidding stop when an ojisan pulled out from a side alley on his ebike and right into my path. The tires (assuming they can seat properly on the rims) are less unwieldy than the Billy Bonkers I’d shod Dionysus with, more suitable to the type of riding I’m doing.

The jury is still out on the Salsa Corner Bar. I didn’t put enough research into the purchase, just thinking it looked like a good idea to allow multiple hand positions. In fact it puts the hands not only further forward than the straight bar I’d been using, but also several centimeters lower. This is clear in the side-by-side comparison with Dionysus, above.

The top of the bar does give a good, alternative hand position, closer to what I’d had with the flat bar, but the hands are not near the controls here. And with Hornsby’s intended use, I’ll need my hands near the shifter and brakes at least 90% of the time.

I have confirmed with the Corner Bar that the control placement is correct, so I’ll go ahead with the bar wrap. That should help with the comfort — as did lowering the saddle for the return ride. But I may revisit this part of the project.