Hello blog readers, all 5 of you!Nothing much exciting has happened the last few days here at the Urban Adventure League HQ. Down is not up and bad is not good (though sometimes it is.) The weather has been decent around here, as good as it can get 'round these parts during Groundhog Week. We started out with highs in the 50's but the last couple have been only around 40 with a stiff east wind. After a few weeks of spring-like weather, it feels like a brief return to winter. Though it's nothing like the several feet of snow everyone got east of the Rockies. (Yay, maritime influence for protecting us!)
I pulled out the ol' Worksman Cycle Truck for a couple rides. April and I went to Alameda Brewery on NE Fremont on Saturday to enjoy some beer with Russ and Laura of Path Less Pedaled. It was good to finally connect with the two of them after several months of living in the same city!* And it was good to hear "no bullshit" talk about bike touring. Makes both of us more confident in our future plans.
While trying to lock my Cycle Truck, the locking mechanism on my Abus wheel lock wasn't engaging. After several frustrating minutes, I figured out that the "arm" was off-track, so I swung by Clever Cycles where I got it repaired. Also in bike concerns, I noticed that my front wheel was somewhat out of true. Jim at Oregon Bike Shop took a look, but needs me to bring it back at some point for a full go-over. I think I'm going to get some new tires on as well, as the front is suffering from dry rot. I'm also going to get a larger rear cog on the rear wheel, so I have better climbing gears. This bike needs all the climbing help it can get! 
I've also used the Raleigh Wayfarer. It's riding fine, but I really need the hub overhauled because I'd like all 3 gears, plus the gears skip a bit. I learned this the hard way on my return home from work on Tuesday. The gear slipped while I was standing and pedaling, causing me to slip on the bike and get a nasty bruise on my left calf. The left pedal and crankarm definitely still needs some work.In other bike news, I've been purging some of my bike stuff. I've posted it on Craigslist and over in the new "Trading Post" on Lovely Bicycle, but I'm also going to put it on this website as well. More details can be found on the "Bike Stuff For Sale" page, but here's the brief list:
- Chrome Messenger Backpack
- MEC convertible Pannier/Daypack
- Brooks B66 Saddle
More stuff will be posted soon.
*That's nothing! Androo Robinson and I have lived in town for the last 10 years and only run into each other every other lunar eclipse.
*That's nothing! Androo Robinson and I have lived in town for the last 10 years and only run into each other every other lunar eclipse.
"I think I'm going to get some new tires on as well, as the front is suffering from dry rot."
ReplyDeleteI bought a ~1987-ish Mountain Tour bicycle with what appeared to be original tires. After riding it for a year or two, the rubber flaked off most of the sidewalls. I shrugged my shoulders and kept riding on them until the inner tube started squeezing out through the exposed nylon fabric in multiple locations after a few more months.
For some reason I enjoy pushing tires to their limit, but that's probably because I've never yet been left stranded somewhere...
I think with me is that I have pushed tires to their limits. And a couple times it has happened in inopportune places, like miles between bike shops on the Pacific Coast. So maybe I'm more hesitant...
ReplyDeleteI know this particular bike will never really go beyond the city, so it wouldn't be as much of a problem as would touring. But the bike is too heavy to get onto the front of a bus. And since the bike is for carrying heavy things, I don't know if I'd like to get a blow-out while loaded.