It’s good it didn’t happen in the long tunnel forbidden for bicycles. It happened just before the road turned into a dual-carriageway. In the rain. Uphill. My ‘carbon-drive’ – what I use instead of a chain – made of Kevlar and unbreakable – broke. Without being able to pedal, I rode down the hill I had just climbed to the first little village, and stopped to contemplate.
Broken Carbon Drive
I have a reserve carbon-drive, but to put it on, you have to pull apart the frame at the one point the frame is connected by a screw. A screw that it is rusted and not movable. A screw that destroyed two Allen keys, and was mangled itself in the process. I have now arranged a taxi to the nearest bigger town – Lijiang, to see if the bike shop there can unscrew my screw. Fingers crossed.
My time in the Tiger Leaping Gorge meant that I met three new friends, whom I walked through the gorge with. We walked through the green, in the bright, warm sun, gazing at the line of teeth-like pointy grey rocky mountains, reaching in to the heavens on the other side of the river. It was gorgeous.
Tourist stuff.. 🙂
Come Inn
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Teeth mountains
Tiger Leaping Gorge
arctic-cycler.com 
Happy New Year! — And with a bit more of cycling wisdom: the carbon belt did not break, only a tooth seems that it broke because it was worn enough, and because at the moment you were pushing on the pedals so other teeth just followed on the same fate. Personally i always avoid technology in my touring bike and only trust common simple conventional things that are easily replaceable and servicable an any village and i strongly recomment the same. 😉
PS. Oops, and always keep alive important screws by freeing and lubricate them.
Good idea!! 🙂
Yes. One tooth broke, and then the others.. I think the belt did well, though – surviving 20000km.. 🙂
Everybody jokes about the farmers tan, but the worldcyclist tan is in a league of its own haha!
The tan line on my legs is more impressive. Also the one on my feet is quite cute. 🙂