Sunday 18 April 2010
instincts
That was so horrible and scarey, I can't jest about it yet. I was speedin on the main road, mingling with the cars, but having a double decker bus up my a*, that refused to overtake!! When something mechanical happed to Ziggy, it was far too complex for me to do, fortunately I wasn't far from my mate Dave's house. I asked him 4 some help. He became all masterful, and took over the situation, which was fine by me. Because I was a bit of a wreck. Bungled Ziggy into his van, took her to Halfords (she had a flat as well) took me to my Mums, and then picked me back up, and brought me home. I'm gonna phone Recycle tomorrow, and see if I can book Ziggy in for an MOT, I know the lads down there are dying to have a go on her!! I think I'll be sticking to the quiet roads for the moment.
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What 'mechanical' thing is Ziggy doing?
ReplyDeleteA flat is bad news, I hate it when that happens. It might be worth having a look at 'Slime' - it is goop that goes in the tyres and fixes a flat as it happens. It does depend on what is causing your flats though - I've found it good when thorns are the problem but not so good when glass or quartz chips are the issue. Your local bikey mates should have heard of the stuff.
The boom is it? came undone? and it just needed the lever tightening I think. Halfords did the punctyure. I might invest in some Slime though
ReplyDeleteta
Watch it with the slime - once you've used it it can make a really punctured tube unrepairable.
ReplyDeleteDo you have a serious pump? By that I mean a track pump, which you use standing up and pushing down the handle. The bigger size means that tyres take fewer strokes to inflate, and it becomes less bother to have a quick couple of strokes to keep everything firm - or hard - but with a big advantage that the track pump normally has a pressure guage on it that you can actually see the tyre pressure and make sure it is right. It rather sounds like you are getting snakebite punctures because your tyres are soft.
Hard tyres don't puncture anywhere near as often as soft ones, with one exception - when the tyre is damaged (ie bulging or not quite right on the wheel rim) then at typical 'high' pressure of 80-100psi.
Unfortunately for me I like the Kojac tread and light - thin-sidewall tyres, and often suffer a thump-thump-thump of a bulging tyre carcase and try to get the thing changed before the inevitable gunshot crack of an HP tyre going bang.
2-bikes down on the stable - my No 1 Brompton frame failed at the seatpost sleeve, and losing 50% of the spokes in the back wheel didn't help either, and the towing machine was rapidly kitted out to use this weekend, only to discover - to my horror that the main tube was tearing away from the hinge - over 60% of the metal had separated before I discovered that Thank goodness that bike is made of steel not aluminium - notably it is an older much used frame - before the new improved hinge unit, and I am up at the top limit of rider weight.
Re the bus driver - might be worth mentioning to Pat that one of his colleagues was making you nervous, by hugging your tail, although one person's tailgating can be an acceptable space to another. The solution is to slow right down gently and stop - then call the driver to pass you. It is difficult to overtake safely with a bus when you can be responsible for up to 70 passengers, and the bus is not as nippy as a small car - the driver might not have wanted to overtake and risk pulling in sharply in front of you.
Ruth's Disabled Cyclist tabard is a 2-edged sword, but you might consider something to indicate that other road users should allow you a bit of space.
One detail for the more confident rider is to slow down and stop with a seriously tailgating driver so close behind that they cannot then pull out to pass, fold your arms and just sit there. Their problem then for following too close behind.
A concluding note then - get a decent pump - give a couple of strokes regularly to keep things firm and fit for use.
You are sooo right when you say about the pump, I have a small pump of about a foot in legnth!! and it exhausts me, I tire and cry metaphoricly, until some kind person does it for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm paying Fred the lovely 24year old bike mechanic, his beer money, just to come and tighten things for me. He's not as good as recycle, but he comes to my house to do it. And is considerasbly cheaper. But he can't make it till about Wednesday, so I'll just be doing quiet school trips till then.
I know it's crap of me, and maybe, I should accept things more as folk say.... But part of the reason for me cycling, was not to be viewed as having a disability, so instantly. So I don't think a flag saying it, is what I'm after. But hey!! that's just me.
How has your weekend been?
PIck up the dog & I'll tell you!
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