I was sooo looking forward to so many things today, so many answers? Could I ride my bike?
I so bottled it again, I even got her out and parked her at the bottom of the drive. But I couldn't do it, I feel so fat and feeble. I looked at the jagged teeth, that usually support the chain. I think the very ones which 10 days ago imbeded in my leg, and my eyes started stinging. Because I wondered if I'd ever be able to ride again. I was/am scared.
Thank's to Nigel, who looks after the health champs. I can sort out a 1 2 1, cycling lesson, with Pedal Ready. The sooner the better though really.
Would the ICDH open even more doors? The thing is I know I know I can do stuff, but it's whether I can keep motivated to do the necessary peripheral stuff, to gain any qualification. I arrived late to the class, but everyone was really welcoming and down to earth, you know the type of class that told me 'my zip was down' And I dooo like that. I told the class i had a disability, and rode a tricycle. Which seemed to go down ok :D
Rob 1, Is it possible to order gripy tyres for my trike? you know nobbley ones. And will Jezz drive on man made paths not concrete though, that are in woods. Or do you think it too risky again!!
I'm really pleased that I've been useful for Rob 2, and introduced him to my fave men.
It depends where you are wanting to ride... As long as you are on a clean surface then the more rubber you have on the road the more grip you have - hence the bald tyres fitted now. Any tread actually breaks up the amount of rubber that is giving you grip. Tread patterns are only added to 'road' tyres because customers expect to see it. Just compare the roughness of tread on a tyre with the roughness of the road surface - the road is much rougher so what difference can the tread make? Following your lead I've been out and done three 10 mile rides in the ice and snow this weekend on a trike with identical tyres to the ones you're using and they've been fine.
ReplyDeleteIf you're riding somewhere muddier then knobbly tyres might help, but they will make you slower on good quality surfaces because they tend to be lower quality and because the knobbles cause drag and actually reduce your grip by lifting the main part of the tyre away from the road surface. When you are out next keep an eye out for a mountain bike with knobbly tyres and listen to it. The thrumming you can hear is lost energy.
So short answer - yes there are knobbly tyres but there is a cost in that they make good surface riding harder. Your shout as to which best suits your needs. Try Jezz on the surfaces you need to use and let me know if there isn't enough grip and from which wheel.
Jezz should be completely fine away from good solid surfaces but don't try playing mountain bikes too seriously! The trick is to keep to reasonably even ground where there aren't any lumps to hit low hanging bits of the trike, particularly the rear mech.
If you find the chainring scary then a guard can be fitted - there should be a pair of them as standard on a mountain drive version - something like in this picture:
http://greenspeed.com.au/webimages/mod_images/md_1.jpg
Perhaps one of your team could rig up something temporarily for you, perhaps ziptied to the outer ring where it won't stop you changing gear? The guys I race with have cut suitable rings out of thin plywood.
Agree with Rob on the bash guards - MTB riders fit them to stop the chinring embedding itself in tree trunks and folding over - you can also get 'trouser guards) ro clamp or clip on to the outside of the big chainrings or get one made - find an old plastic plate about the same diameter as the outer chainring tips - ideally one that is almost flat and just curves up at the very edges, and then you should have some spare holes in the outer parts of the chainring, which you get drilled out through the plate (now you se why it won't work with best Wedgewood,,,,) then you need fasteners - pop rivets probably best as bolts may foul chain changing down.
ReplyDeleteThen you get out there and ride the .... thing. Or else I'll be round to find out why not next time I'm anywhere near Sheffield.
Seriously though you learned a lesson later in life than most bike riding kids - and when the chainring is worn out you simply give it a good scrub and use it as a pizza cutter.
Your contact patch (no not that sort) for a bike performs very differntly than that of a car - you are most unlikely to hit the dynamic balance which deliver aquaplaning as teh weight pressing that small patch down onto the surface pushes any water out the sides without the need for sipes, as the tread patterns on car tyres are known. Cars need sipes as they have a big contact patch and the water cannot get out without these little pressure relief channels
Next week how to build an atomic powered cycle..... with a couple of washing up liquid bottles and a roll of sticky back plastic...
Durrrr!!! I've just deleted a beautifly long reply.
ReplyDeleteAtomic powered lights sounds good - easier than those rechargy batteris. Go for it!
ReplyDeleteCaroline - copy this link to your browser for a photo of the sort of guards I'd expect on your new trike (they might be a different colour - my new ones are black):
http://greenspeed.com.au/webimages/mod_images/md_1.jpg