Lost My Drivin' Wheel

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Since the start of the trip I have had a series of seemingly unrelated issues with my back wheel.  This morning, during yet another round of fettling, I concluded it was knackered and had to go.  Luckily we were just a few miles from a Decathalon so off we popped.

"Good morning, I need an 11 speed back wheel" I deliver in my finest French.

After a brief scurry to the stock room the 'assistant' returns with a decidedly 10 speed looking wheel and says "voila".

"Are you sure that is 11 speed?" I ask.

"Mais oui, bien sur" replies the 'assistant'.

I purchase the wheel and exit stage left......time passes.

"Excuse me, this is a 10 speed wheel"  (you can see where this is going).

"Non, onze vitesse!".

I lay the wheel on the counter and start attaching oily cogs.  Une, deux, trois...........dix.  At this point the wheel is visibly full and cog number onze is still in my hand.

"Ah oui monsieur, dix vitesse, main nous n'en avons pas les onze vitesse".

At this point I stuck the 11th gear up his backside and left while cursing the French and all things French.

Of course, I was still sans wheel so returned and studied the wheel display.  For rather more euros than I was hoping to pay I could buy a fine PAIR of Mavic wheels that were definitely for the requisite onze vitesse.

To cut a short story long......by about 10:30 I was all wheeled up and ready to ride.  A pity that we still had 80 miles to do!

We did them but it was hard going and we didn't get to Epernay until 5:30.  We have blown £29 on a Premiere Classe 'hotel' - possibly the crappiest thing you can stay in that is still better than camping!

PS The Byrds

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