Couldn't resist. A truck full of balloons from the balloon and party shop. Take it easy round the bends or it might float away!
Wednesday, 5 September 2007
Light vehicle
Couldn't resist. A truck full of balloons from the balloon and party shop. Take it easy round the bends or it might float away!
Tuesday, 4 September 2007
Ding! A proper bike shop
Occasionally, as one rides along, little noises can be heard along with feedback from the road felt through the bike. The variety becomes familiar and gives clues to the maintenance needs of the bike. The noises might be squeaks or rattles indicating lubrication required or something needing tightening. In the ideal world, the ideal ride would be silent, but then, the roads would also be smooth and free from potholes.
I've given my old commuting bike more attention of late since it has been used more and I've gone further afield outside of the daily commute. I've never considered it a risk to do so since it has been so reliable. Even so, chain cleaning, brake adjusting and lubrication need performing to keep things safe and make the ride more enjoyable. This old bike has been great. It replaced an old Puch road bike that I used. A colleague and friend had a spare Raleigh road bike and donated it to me thus consigning the Puch to the scrapheap. I got the impression the 'new bike' was well maintained when I received it.
The Raleigh isn't now in quite as good condition because, three years later, it is starting to show the ravages of winter road salt, grit, rain, snow and standing outside during the day. Nevertheless the mechanicals are fine even if the paintwork is not pristine. The idea of using an old bike is purely for the reason that having a good/expensive machine to commute and leave outside the office seems nonsensical. I'm not the only one to think along these lines - check out Bike of Doom for a stories of similar bikes. The pedigree of my old Raleigh is probably a lot better than a $99 supermarket model, though the principle is the same.
Last week riding home, I heard an unfamilar ding of a noise that sounded something between a stone being flipped by the tyres and a puncture. I continued riding when everything seemed OK. It was only at the weekend, whilst doing some routine lubrication and cleaning, that I noticed two broken spokes. This could be a sign of some damage or just fatigue. As the spokes sheared at the hub end, I fear it's fatigue, so I'll be on the lookout for further problems.
I've been calling it an old 10-speed but I forgot it has 6 sprockets on the rear free-wheel. I don't know how old the bike is, though today, I got a clue from the bike shop. The frame is a Raleigh 10 speed but the 6 sprocket hub is squeezed in the frame, suggesting the frame may be older than the wheels. Being an old machine, I know spares aren't that easy to come by and that bike shops, although keen to have servicing work, are also keen to sell new cycles.
The local hardware shop has bits for bikes, so I tried there first. No luck. Moving down the road to the nearest bike shop, I got the usual story, the spares are kept at the Burnley shop. The remaining shops are over the other side of town, so I ventured to Halfords first, since they tend to cater for the cheaper end of the market. The helpful assistant informed me they don't carry spokes - maybe I should try a proper bike shop. Hehe - the chap next to me buying a bike nearly went somewhere else as well!. That left Ewood Bikes, which, as the girl in Halfords pointed out, is probably the only proper bike shop in Blackburn. It's with some reluctance I take in old gear because I always get a comment about it being a relic, an antique or scrap iron. Today was no exception, but despite pointing out my old 27in wheel was 27 years old and obsolete, a solution was forthcoming and the shop gained more kudos. Whilst I won't have made the owner rich, I'll recommend them so I or others can another day.
There must be loads of people who have old bikes in their garages and sheds. When they do get round to riding them it must be a shock to find the best place for them is the local tip.
Anyway for now, the Raleigh rides again.
I've given my old commuting bike more attention of late since it has been used more and I've gone further afield outside of the daily commute. I've never considered it a risk to do so since it has been so reliable. Even so, chain cleaning, brake adjusting and lubrication need performing to keep things safe and make the ride more enjoyable. This old bike has been great. It replaced an old Puch road bike that I used. A colleague and friend had a spare Raleigh road bike and donated it to me thus consigning the Puch to the scrapheap. I got the impression the 'new bike' was well maintained when I received it.
The Raleigh isn't now in quite as good condition because, three years later, it is starting to show the ravages of winter road salt, grit, rain, snow and standing outside during the day. Nevertheless the mechanicals are fine even if the paintwork is not pristine. The idea of using an old bike is purely for the reason that having a good/expensive machine to commute and leave outside the office seems nonsensical. I'm not the only one to think along these lines - check out Bike of Doom for a stories of similar bikes. The pedigree of my old Raleigh is probably a lot better than a $99 supermarket model, though the principle is the same.
Last week riding home, I heard an unfamilar ding of a noise that sounded something between a stone being flipped by the tyres and a puncture. I continued riding when everything seemed OK. It was only at the weekend, whilst doing some routine lubrication and cleaning, that I noticed two broken spokes. This could be a sign of some damage or just fatigue. As the spokes sheared at the hub end, I fear it's fatigue, so I'll be on the lookout for further problems.
I've been calling it an old 10-speed but I forgot it has 6 sprockets on the rear free-wheel. I don't know how old the bike is, though today, I got a clue from the bike shop. The frame is a Raleigh 10 speed but the 6 sprocket hub is squeezed in the frame, suggesting the frame may be older than the wheels. Being an old machine, I know spares aren't that easy to come by and that bike shops, although keen to have servicing work, are also keen to sell new cycles.
The local hardware shop has bits for bikes, so I tried there first. No luck. Moving down the road to the nearest bike shop, I got the usual story, the spares are kept at the Burnley shop. The remaining shops are over the other side of town, so I ventured to Halfords first, since they tend to cater for the cheaper end of the market. The helpful assistant informed me they don't carry spokes - maybe I should try a proper bike shop. Hehe - the chap next to me buying a bike nearly went somewhere else as well!. That left Ewood Bikes, which, as the girl in Halfords pointed out, is probably the only proper bike shop in Blackburn. It's with some reluctance I take in old gear because I always get a comment about it being a relic, an antique or scrap iron. Today was no exception, but despite pointing out my old 27in wheel was 27 years old and obsolete, a solution was forthcoming and the shop gained more kudos. Whilst I won't have made the owner rich, I'll recommend them so I or others can another day.
There must be loads of people who have old bikes in their garages and sheds. When they do get round to riding them it must be a shock to find the best place for them is the local tip.
Anyway for now, the Raleigh rides again.
Sunday, 2 September 2007
Expect delays
Still not there. What are they waiting for? Maybe something to delay? This week school starts again after the summer break. Ideal.
Back to reality
After the heady days of sunny cycling in August, this week saw the return of dark dank mornings heavy with drizzle. A foretaste of things to come as autumn draws near. Thoughts necessarily turn to high-viz jackets for the dark mornings, warmer gear to keep out the cold and charging and testing the lights ready for remounting on the bike. The temperature was hovering around 10C and the sun was unable to break through the blanket of cloud. Getting muscles warm takes a bit longer and I find for a short commute, I'll wear more than I usually would for a longer ride.
It also felt strange to get back on the road bike after using the mountain bike for three weeks. It wasn't just the contrast between the skinny tyres on the road bike and the fat ones on the mountain bike. No, even though all the bits are adjusted for correct height and everything, the difference in geometry and riding position also make a big difference. I thought I'd feel fitter on the road bike but it just didn't seem as good. It'll soon wear off.
Hopefully this is not the end of good weather just yet as I want to leave the winter cycling jacket tucked away for as long as possible. There's always talk of an Indian summer and with luck, September will provide some nice days to get some rides in.
It also felt strange to get back on the road bike after using the mountain bike for three weeks. It wasn't just the contrast between the skinny tyres on the road bike and the fat ones on the mountain bike. No, even though all the bits are adjusted for correct height and everything, the difference in geometry and riding position also make a big difference. I thought I'd feel fitter on the road bike but it just didn't seem as good. It'll soon wear off.
Hopefully this is not the end of good weather just yet as I want to leave the winter cycling jacket tucked away for as long as possible. There's always talk of an Indian summer and with luck, September will provide some nice days to get some rides in.
Saturday, 1 September 2007
End of August already
August was a good month, personally. It was a good month for others as well. Jill in Juneau bagged her 1000 miles in a month. Another commuter, Jeff, made his goal of cycling to work for a month. Well done Jeff and long may it continue. Jeff's commute is 8 miles each way, but what makes it impressive is that he lives in Phoenix, Arizona and the theme that comes over from his blog is his battle with the extreme heat and the ways to combat it. Back in the UK, Gus from Cardiff, continues his weight loss programme having lost more than a stone after six weeks.
Over in France, the Velib cycle scheme in Paris has also been deemed a success. A friend visited recently and found it worked really well.
I fulfilled the objective of cycling regularly to work plus getting in plenty of cycling on holiday.
In France we explored sentiers, chemins and Velo Tout Terrain tracks. I even got lost in a forest once, rescued only by the GPS showing me where on the hillside I was heading. There's plenty of great cycling in France. One of the more memorable days was sitting eating Neuchatel cheese in a baguette by a lock on the Canal du Nivernais in the Morvan region. That day we travelled 44 miles and saw lots of cycle tourists - a popular holiday in France. That's one for next year.
In the English lake district we had some excellent mountain bike rides. One day we took the bikes on the ferry across Windermere and did 15 miles off road around Wray and Claife Heights. Another day, we did a mixed route taking in a Scottish beer festival at the Watermill at Ings where Atlas Lattitude, a draught pilsner, was a favourite. We also enjoyed a day's outing on bridleways around the Winster valley. Most of the rides concluded with a refreshing drink in glorious sunshine. Definitely one of life's pleasures. As well as fine Scottish ales we had the excellent Hawkshead Bitter at the brewery in Staveley, the Claife Crier and Sun Inn at Crook. A sad note to end the month was that the renowned writer on beer and whisky, Michael Jackson, died on Thursday. He travelled the world writing and speaking about real beer. His advocacy helped bring greater awareness of small breweries and the variety of wonderful beers on offer across the globe. This post is dedicated to him.
Over in France, the Velib cycle scheme in Paris has also been deemed a success. A friend visited recently and found it worked really well.
I fulfilled the objective of cycling regularly to work plus getting in plenty of cycling on holiday.
In France we explored sentiers, chemins and Velo Tout Terrain tracks. I even got lost in a forest once, rescued only by the GPS showing me where on the hillside I was heading. There's plenty of great cycling in France. One of the more memorable days was sitting eating Neuchatel cheese in a baguette by a lock on the Canal du Nivernais in the Morvan region. That day we travelled 44 miles and saw lots of cycle tourists - a popular holiday in France. That's one for next year.
In the English lake district we had some excellent mountain bike rides. One day we took the bikes on the ferry across Windermere and did 15 miles off road around Wray and Claife Heights. Another day, we did a mixed route taking in a Scottish beer festival at the Watermill at Ings where Atlas Lattitude, a draught pilsner, was a favourite. We also enjoyed a day's outing on bridleways around the Winster valley. Most of the rides concluded with a refreshing drink in glorious sunshine. Definitely one of life's pleasures. As well as fine Scottish ales we had the excellent Hawkshead Bitter at the brewery in Staveley, the Claife Crier and Sun Inn at Crook. A sad note to end the month was that the renowned writer on beer and whisky, Michael Jackson, died on Thursday. He travelled the world writing and speaking about real beer. His advocacy helped bring greater awareness of small breweries and the variety of wonderful beers on offer across the globe. This post is dedicated to him.
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