Sunday 18 January 2015

Saturday short ride with a longer walk home!...


I cannot remember the last time i pushed a bike home, or back to the car, probably 10 years a go when i snapped a Bottom Bracket at Glentress trail centre, even then it was a one foot on the pedal freewheel most of the way down to the car park. But i got caught out this morning with a lack of preparation checking spares on the bike and shoved a Pugsley about 2 miles home!, lesson learned!

Some jets outside now at the Museum of Flight...



They will start to rot like the old Avro Vulcan is now sadly...


Through the woods, icy ruts keeping me on my toes...


And up the Ridge Road of the Garletons,  frozen solid...



All the mud at the top on Barney Hill was solid so nice and clean...



Sun on Fife across the Forth estuary...




 With no real plan i was going to explore a few field boundaries around here...

Then 5 minutes later along by West Toll Mains i picked up a big thorn, usually not a problem, pull it out and spin the wheel and it seals... but it would not seal!, the Stans juice must have used up all the particles and just would not seal!...

So not having a wee bottle to re juice and re seal, or patches i swapped the tube (re moving the thorn!) and continued, deciding to call it a day and head for home as the spare tube was not juiced and there was hedges recently cut everywhere. nice we down hill then heading east the front flatted again!...

Francis was away working, i phoned friends but just got answering phones, so walked the 2-3 miles home... at least i was nice and warmed up now!...

So Lesson learned!
Owning multiple bikes means it near impossible to have a pump and tolls on all of them, I use the old pumps and heavier tools on my 2 work bikes, and now will carry one tool kit for all other bikes,
Carry a  bottle or two of tubeless juice to top up, or add to your spare tube if you fit it- it rolls up smaller with out juice, some alcohol wipes so you can repair a tube- and some good patches and glue!,
If Schrader tubes fit a valve core remover to your spare tubes so you can juice the tube,
Carry it all in one tool bag that goes with you whatever bike, then you constantly know you have everything.
leave a tube on every bike, and a 26" MTB tube as a spare as will inflate to any 4", 5", 29er, 29+ wheel if needed as a second spare.


On a good note when i got home the postie had been and left a parcel- a 100mm square taper On One bottom bracket i bought used via Facebook, so i got the green Pug rolling!...


More soon...

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