Great news you got your gears and brakes working again! Nothing like a little tap from a mallet to fine tune things. Have a wonderful time in Sicily...looking forward to following along.

Interesting you should say that,we have been half seriously daydreaming of a small place somewhere. Maybe along the southern Rhine?.

Ask Bill.

You could be right! Especially the vulgaris aspect. Look at those buds all about to burst open.

That’s an interesting solution, alright. Sort of like maintaining a pied a terre.

Hopefully we can find a competent mechanic, and hopefully it will be such an easy fix. And thanks for the suggestion about removing the derailleur. That has never occurred to me.

Right. Looks like we should have stayed in sunny Portland after all.

Thanks, Sue. This is why we always stay two nights at our arrival town now, and arrive at a time of week when things are open. Of course, if we just didn’t book everything up front, we’d have all the time we want to resolve this.

Scott, I suspect your derailleur hanger is bent which is part of the frame. A good bike shop should easily be able to realign the hanger. For what it’s worth I always remove the derailleur when packing the bikes. Something to think about 3 months from now. Enjoy Sicily! Davida

Hope it all works out! What a bummer right at the start!

Nice to watch from inside, not so great when out in it.

This was always our biggest nightmare when travelling with the bikes. Now that we leave ours with various European friends it is one less worry to start out with.

Wow, just wow!

One day we will have to ride in Portland with you two!

I could be wrong but isn't this a photo of the flower confusatageus vulgaris jfk-difolia?