Tuesday, 20 May 2008

Good Job, Not falling down

Last Saturday Jeff, from Cabarita Beach Cycles, asked me for a hand to help him load and later unload his new shop fittings, which loo good and are very functional. Only took an hour or so and no injuries sustained except for Jeff who managed to have a sliding cabinet door slam close onto his thumb and with his young daughter present he managed to withhold the obligotory expletive! Well held!

On a ride the weekend before I also managed to knock a bit of bark off my right knee and elbow. Well it's embarrassing but... Riding slowly up Reserve Creek Road toward Kanes Road I/the front derailleur decided to change to a non-existent cog when I shifted down once too often!  I attempted to re-engage the chain and with the little momentum I had I right turned across the slope of the hill and continued to turn the peddles hoping the chain would take up... Next thing I knew I was laying sprawled on the ground having made no effort to arrest my fall. Without clips or straps quite the stupid thing to do... live and learn then repeat. Healing well now.

I have used my spare time Autumn pruning the beautiful, though massive, out-of-control and overgrown Boganvillia creeper near my front gate. Now I have given myself a mild case of RSI from using the 'ratchet pruning shears' to cut up 2 heaped trailers full and 3 stationwagons packed to the roof to take to the green waste depot (they don't come and collect it here Tweed Shire Council's reason supplied: not enough demand in that area... Oh! I get it! A Catch22 excuse.) 

Back to bikes, I finally took my tired old MTB rear wheel down to Cabarita Beach Cycles to get the long needed new bearing fitted. I need to get a couple of tools if I am going to continue to ride cheaply. A peddle crank arm puller and a rear screw-on cluster remover (cause I use cheap equip) so I can replace these bearings when they require it. I bought a set of allan keys to go with the chain breaker and spoke spanner. If I plan on traveling with all this equipment and spares I will need a support vehicle just to carry it all. Might require a re-think here! Might be better off staying home, nah! just kidding.

Also I have stripped the Aluminium Frame and repacked and replaced the crank bearings next task buy a top pull 3-speed front deraileur to suit this particular frame. Then I can transfer all the other kit from the slightly too large "Old Peak MTB"... I must ask Jeff...

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