My Most Recent Ride 2014 (Part VII in a series)

Thanks Terii, and I hope Loke pulls up well to do some more Trail work.

 

That is not good ... is it easy to get a replacement axle?

Andrew

 

I am FINALLY getting some riding in. Weather and work are now cooperating.

I took my Corsa out for its maiden ride today. (See attached picture.) Weather said it should rain early and clear up by noon.

So I got the Corsa down from it storage hooks in my garage. I needed to do some tweaking before I took it for a spin. I had to replace the velcro on my foam seat because the one that came with the bent simply wouldn't stick.

Next put on a kick *** tail light. It is called a Metroflash and beats the pants off of the Planet Bike Super Flash Turbo I bought from Mark. You can get it from Amazon.



Next put on my Brainbox. Had to rip the seam to get it over my head rest. Will have to do some reinforcing sewing to keep it from opening wider.

Adjusted my mirror and I was ready to go. I don't have a cyclometer on it yet or gps, so I turned on Strava on my cell phone, put it in the bag and off I went.

There is a lot of cycling around my house. I live next to Knoxville but it is still rural. I rode one of my known rides. This is a killer ride because it is nothing but rollers and big hills. Wore my butt out but it felt great. First time this year I really pushed myself.

About 3/4 of the way through the wind really picked up and it started raining on me. WHAT!!!! So I am riding as fast as I can, getting pelted with rain heading home. In 10 minutes I was home soaked. But I now know I baptized by bent!

Got home. Dried off the bent then took a hot shower. I am going to work in the bent some more doing minor tweaks. I am putting on the cyclometer so I know how fast I am going. And how far. (BTW my killer ride was only 13.8 miles but I was much more worn out than my 20 mile loop I do at lunch. There is more than miles!!)

That's it. Hope to ride once this week. Then I won't be riding for 2 weeks due to vacation and eye surgery.

So ride some miles for me while I am out of action. I will be following this board while recuperating.

 

Sorry, I am not in my office. I have gone cycling!

 

With the Public Holiday for ANZAC day - have not been able to enquire.
I am not keen to replace with same unit as it has in my oppinion a design flaw.
So am looking at making better axle to replace it - still appears businesses are having time off, just to make it a nice long weekend.
Cant blame them , I wanted to do same and do some nice riding

 

With modified Axle in place , did my long work ride today for total of 80 km [ 50 miles].
Did not appear to bend or come loose or anything nasty.
Probably wont get my 1000 km this month done [ 621 miles ].

 

I suspect that I have come to that time when Maintenance is an Increasing issue. I have done 6500 km in the 7 months I have owned it , today riding home from work my chain Broke.
I knew it was getting a bit worn and had enquired at bike shop as to price [ 150 Au $ ] to repair including sproket.
-
I hate having to call for help and get trike carted home in Vehicle - oh well at least we are home and its fixed.
Also the pedals have been getting crunchy [ balls falling out of race due getting loose ] and you know its very soon it will fail. As well as the axle break last week.
-
Took out link and got chain back on but now I have lost another gear [ due to chain too tight ] and dont expect chain to be reliable now.
Looks like a bit of money to be spent on the old thing now.

 

to add to the woe, after ride today looked at rear tyre and saw purple spots ....
my Kevlar belt is showing - tyre is worn out.
Was a nice ride today in any case.

 

Chain wear (6,500 km) is not a long distance and shouldn't have anything to do with the chain breaking. Bad shifts, shifts under load etc are more likely the issue here.

I wouldn't be changing my rear cassette (is this what you mean by sprocket) yet. I get two to three chains easily out of a cassette and I expect my chains to go around 10,000 km but then I used an expensive chain wear measuring tool so I want my money back on it .

I would suggest carrying a Wipperman Connex Link or similar so if the chain breaks again you fix the problem on the side of the road.

Check out the likes of chain reaction cycles in the UK ... spend $99 and you get free shipping. All to your door within a week as a general rule. Get your chain and pedals for probably less than the chain price at the LBS.

Are you running a 9 speed or 10 speed setup? How long does your chain need to be?

Andrew

 

Second ride this year

Today after several weeks off due to mechanical and physical problems I got my second ride in it was another windy day but that didn't stop me at all.

 

10-ish miles today. First ride of May. It looks like the lovely weather we've been having will be replaced by rain for the rest of the week and into the next.

I would have gotten a ride or two in sooner, but a friend visited Stockholm from the US so I spent the long May Day weekend running around the city with her and showing her around the museums and the like.

Was a good ride if slow. We did around 10 miles which I think is a new record for the year for us both. Just wanted to take it easy on Loke, to see if he can do more than the River Loop even if we go at 5-6 mph.

It's nice to see him sleeping contentedly for a change. His joints may not be up to fast and long outings any more but the rest of his body clearly does not agree. Talk about a conflict.

In spite of still walking around like a decrepit oldster, I felt fine for riding since it kept the weight and impact off my feet.

Terii

 

8.7 miles for Loke and a total of 12.7 miles for myself which is a new 'longest ride of the year'.

The rain's been falling quite a bit, but today's weather decided to defy the forecast. It might be gray, but the rain has held off long enough that most paved surfaces are dry. So, out we went before the rain picked up again.

Loke wanted to run like made and when I didn't let him, he settled for pulling like crazy for the first 4 miles. Then he settled into a 6-7 mph jog with slack tether. I stopped at a shopping centre on the loop for Jens to come get him because his paw pads were looking a little thin.

Then I zipped home for exactly 4 miles of additional distance and did it in less than 15 minutes, which is pretty good for me. My thighs soooooooo hate me right now. But a good outing all the same.

Terii

 

Another outing today. Jens took off for London around 10 am. The bottom of my right foot has been feeling quite bruised still, so it was better for me to take Loke for a trike outing.

Loke was pretty happy to go out even if I kept him poking along between 5 and 7.5 mph. It took us about an hour and fifteen. The past 5 days have been cloudy even when the rain let up. So, when enough SUN started pushing its way through the clouds so that the faintest hints of shadows started appearing, I got ready.

For once, the weather actually improved! I expected the faint shadows to disappear under thickening clouds and arrive home soggy with the return of rain. Instead, before we finished the first mile, the clouds broke apart and real sunshine streamed down from the patchwork of blue and cloud sky.

Saw a young hare and returned home with a bit over 6.5 miles. That finally tips us over 100 miles for 2014.

Terii

 

Hmmmm. Surely I'm not the only one getting out for rides?

Out again today. Jens is still in London and Loke started out the morning being a pest even after a walk and his breakfast. He definitely made it clear that huskies cannot live on food, water and short walkies alone! Trying to get some 3D modelling done and somehow a 50 lb fur ball wedged his way into my lap in spite of a computer desk in the way. Can count on two hands with fingers left over how many times he's done that in his almost 9 years.

Fortunately, Loke's morning starts later than mine does.

So, out the door we went at about 10 am. It was chill enough I pulled out a thin wool top to go under my cycle shirt.

I didn't really have time to go somewhere like I would have liked. Yesterday disappeared between one eye-blink and the next as I was sucked into my 3D stuff. The rest of the things that needed done, except for husky tending, got lost along the way. Today, I have to make them up.

That meant the River Loop. Loke really wanted to run, but I stubbornly kept his speed down. He did fine! No the least hint of arthritis over the 4.5 miles we covered.

It was murky gray when we started, but the clouds started breaking up to let some sun through. Lots of people out enjoying the morning. I saw the first fledgling of 2014. A cute little thing, a rounder, fluffier, stubby tailed version of its parents.

Terii

 

Right now I am off my bent for at least 2 weeks due to eye surgery. This year is a biking disaster. I have less than 300 miles this year. I don't think I have ever ridden this few miles before at this time. Very disappointing!!!!!

So in my case Terii, I have nothing to post.