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| tiggerGlasgow |
on Thu 6 Aug 09, 5:39 PM to tiggerGlasgow's blog.
I was given a bike by a friend who no longer used it. After taking it on one rather short test run, I could see why it hadn't gotten much use. The gears weren't set up properly, the brakes were horrendously adjusted and the saddle was badly positioned (my friend is a fair bit taller than me and the saddle was too low, even for me). In short, I doubt the original owners (my friend was given it by others who didn't use it) had ever properly adjusted it in the first place.
Now I know one end of a spanner from the other, but other than putting a chain back on and fixing punctures, I'm a wee bitty lost on bike maintenance. Getting SP to help didn't help, his bike knowledge was as out of date as mine, more so as he wanted to set my brakes with tow-in, something that "V" brakes don't require.
With much trepidation I began looking the web for bike maintenance stuff. My past experience with educational stuff from the web and instruction stuff was that it was frequently full of a technical vocabulary that I didn't quite grasp and that there would be references to part names with no explanation as to where on the bike it actually was. I was wrong. I found a couple of damned good websites, bicycletutor.com being the most useful, that not only told me and showed me how to fix it, they explained the terms etc as well (who says you don't learn anything useful on the internet?). A day or so later, and the bike was mostly in working order, I needed a few more tools (namely a 5,5mm allen key and a shifty spanner able to extend up to 35mm, to complete the tune up. I've not done a total overhaul, I'm saving that for a few weeks time, but at least I now know how and it's ridable.
The goal is to be able to cycle to my sword class when it starts back, do the training, go to the pub, then cycle home. Hell even walk home pushing the bike if other people are travelling in my direction. I don't think I'm far off of that to be honest. Two longish bike rides, one of which was to the charity shop for my stint of volunteering and back home, have left me eager for more. My next step is to find a beginners pilates class that's accessible by bike and doesn't clash with swords.
Watchout Edinburgh, the weedgie has wheels now as well as springs.
| 6 Aug 09, 7:03 PM Arceye UK(S), 7 yrs |
Good luck and have fun. I bought a recumbent trike recently www.kmxkarts.com for general pix, mine is the Cobra model. I had a stroke couple years ago and have been waiting for my balance to come back so's I could ride my bike, I gave up waiting a month ago and bought the trike. And because I've been off the road for two years I also, like you, have to get used to things again- and hopefully get some muscle back. Your comments on badly adjusted bikes strikes a chord. I used to know a couple, they bought matching new bikes and matching outfits, but their bikes gears crunched and ground as they rode- even if you cannot adjust gears yourself, bike shops will do it for you for a small fee, but they seemed not to know that bikes were not meant to go 'crunch'. Anyway you sound sorted. All the best Mike/Arceye | |
| 6 Aug 09, 11:51 PM tiggerGlasgow UK(EH), 6 yrs |
The look of those things scares the crap out of me, I'd be petrified on one in traffic. Off-road I'd give one a go, but in Edinburgh traffic? I'd end up under a bus, ideal for exercising though if you're a bit wonky still on your balance. Good luck with that and the rest of your road back to peak fitness. "A life without pain has no meaning" Athrur Schopenhauer | |
| 7 Aug 09, 9:04 AM phthonos UK(NN), 3 yrs |
Well done. I feel inspired to get my bike out of the garage now. Any idea what to do about very very loud squeaky brakes? The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions. -- JBS | |
| 7 Aug 09, 11:34 AM tiggerGlasgow UK(EH), 6 yrs |
Try taking the pads off and giving them a light sand with rough sand paper. That fails try www.bicycletutor.com "A life without pain has no meaning" Athrur Schopenhauer |
