12.7 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Thursday, July 4, 2013
I really wasn't sure I wanted to ride again today - my legs felt pretty tired from the last two days - but I'm not sure what I'll be doing tomorrow, so I hit the bike path for what I planned as an easy ride... of course what should be easy rarely is...
Today I started out heading east for a change, looped around on the road to the water treatment plant, and headed back. The trip over to Lock 7 was uneventful. Not a lot of traffic on the bike path, probably due to both the holiday and the heat/humidity. Even the lock area was pretty quiet - I would have figure there would be lots of trailers at the boat launch, but there was nobody. Stopped to check out the high water levels over the dam (though it has gone down noticably since Tuesday) then headed on my way... except as I was leaving the parking lot it became clear I had a flat on the rear wheel. Aaargh!
It is a lot easier to change a flat when there's a picnic table handy, so in that regards I lucked out. Changing the tube was relatively easy (I've had lots of practice over the last few days) and I was riding again fairly soon. Except... "bump, bump, bump"... which I put up with for the mile or so to the base of the hill up the old landfill, where I stopped, deflated the tube, reseated the tire, and pumped it back up. No sign of problems on the ride back to the car... hurray!
I had thought to try a short run today to test my knee, but my legs (and the rest of me too) are feeling tired enough that I think I'll wait until tomorrow.
JMH
Showing posts with label bicycle repairs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bicycle repairs. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 02, 2013
WOODCHUCKLES REDUX & A TROUBLESOME BIKE
11 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Yesterday I left the bike I usually ride out in Rochester, both because it was raining steadily and I'm hoping my knee will have recovered enough for me to do the Tri the Oatka paddle triathlon in a week and a half - so during that time I need to put in a few miles on the bike I typically ride during races. I knew I needed to replace the tires first, so this morning I tackled that job. What I had forgotten was that I also needed to replace a broken spoke on the front wheel - and unfortunately I didn't notice that until after I had the tire replaced. Sigh...
Heading out on the bike path I felt a steady bump from the back wheel that probably meant the wire bead wasn't seated properly on the rim in one spot... I've had that issue once or twice before with that wheel, most memorably during the Mohawk Towpath Duathlon back in 2007. I figured it would be OK for a few miles so I decided to endure it until I got back to the car (how's that for foreshadowing?)
Stopped at Lock 7 to look for the six woodchuckles I saw a while ago... no sign of them near the burrows. But, as I was getting ready to leave, I spotted them - all the way across the lawn, in a brushy area near the road. Either woodchucks are incredible burrowers, the little squirts have gotten very brave, or Ma and Pa woodchuck have booted them out, because they were a good 100 yds from the burrows next to the Lock. Then again, if it came down to a 100 m dash between me and the woodchuckles, I'd put my money on them. Spent a few minutes taking photos of them, before my being there scared them into the brush, then headed on down the bike path.
Except now the "bump, bump, bump" was much worse, and when I stopped I discovered that the tube had popped the tire off the rim and was getting steadily worse. So I deflated the tube, did my best to re-seat the tire, and then pumped it back up as best I could with my hand pump. That took enough wind out of my sails that I considered stopping when I got back to the car. I haven't been on the Dawes since the end of April, and the frame geometry and gearing is just different enough that it can be take some getting used to - in other words my legs were grumbling.
On the way back I stopped at the Niska Isle bridge to take some pictures and was treated to another goose parade (flotilla?) as several families made their way single file to the far shore. An incredible number are hanging out in that area - looked like 8 adults and 30+ youngsters of various ages.
I managed to convince myself that it was worth riding down to the old railroad bridge ove Shaker's Creek, and I'm glad I did - I'd have felt pretty wimpy later on if I'd stopped after 6-7 miles. And tomorrow I get to work on the back tire again... it looks like the rubber over the bead may have torn away, so I may need to throw that one out and put a different one on...
JMH
11 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Yesterday I left the bike I usually ride out in Rochester, both because it was raining steadily and I'm hoping my knee will have recovered enough for me to do the Tri the Oatka paddle triathlon in a week and a half - so during that time I need to put in a few miles on the bike I typically ride during races. I knew I needed to replace the tires first, so this morning I tackled that job. What I had forgotten was that I also needed to replace a broken spoke on the front wheel - and unfortunately I didn't notice that until after I had the tire replaced. Sigh...
Heading out on the bike path I felt a steady bump from the back wheel that probably meant the wire bead wasn't seated properly on the rim in one spot... I've had that issue once or twice before with that wheel, most memorably during the Mohawk Towpath Duathlon back in 2007. I figured it would be OK for a few miles so I decided to endure it until I got back to the car (how's that for foreshadowing?)
Stopped at Lock 7 to look for the six woodchuckles I saw a while ago... no sign of them near the burrows. But, as I was getting ready to leave, I spotted them - all the way across the lawn, in a brushy area near the road. Either woodchucks are incredible burrowers, the little squirts have gotten very brave, or Ma and Pa woodchuck have booted them out, because they were a good 100 yds from the burrows next to the Lock. Then again, if it came down to a 100 m dash between me and the woodchuckles, I'd put my money on them. Spent a few minutes taking photos of them, before my being there scared them into the brush, then headed on down the bike path.
Except now the "bump, bump, bump" was much worse, and when I stopped I discovered that the tube had popped the tire off the rim and was getting steadily worse. So I deflated the tube, did my best to re-seat the tire, and then pumped it back up as best I could with my hand pump. That took enough wind out of my sails that I considered stopping when I got back to the car. I haven't been on the Dawes since the end of April, and the frame geometry and gearing is just different enough that it can be take some getting used to - in other words my legs were grumbling.
On the way back I stopped at the Niska Isle bridge to take some pictures and was treated to another goose parade (flotilla?) as several families made their way single file to the far shore. An incredible number are hanging out in that area - looked like 8 adults and 30+ youngsters of various ages.
I managed to convince myself that it was worth riding down to the old railroad bridge ove Shaker's Creek, and I'm glad I did - I'd have felt pretty wimpy later on if I'd stopped after 6-7 miles. And tomorrow I get to work on the back tire again... it looks like the rubber over the bead may have torn away, so I may need to throw that one out and put a different one on...
JMH
Friday, November 23, 2012
CAN TURTLES FIX BIKES?
Friday, November 23, 2012
I suppose it depends on the turtle and on what needs fixing on the bike...
In this case, two of Ann's bikes were down for the count, and since that's her primary means to getting back and forth to work (because parking costs an outrageous amount) it's important to have them rolling again.
I tackled the backup, her mountain bike, first. Two broken links on the chain. So I sized a new chain and installed it... then had to take it apart again because I hadn't threaded it through the front derailleur, and the screw holding the derailleur closed was stripping when I tried to take it apart. Idiot! But the nice thing about replacing chains is it's not too difficult, as long as you're slow and careful so you don't push the rivet all the way out. But it is definitely a grungy job.
Then I went after her primary ride, an ancient steel 12 speed. The initial problem there was a flat, aggravated by the fact that after she replaced the dead tube, the next morning she found the tire flat again. Replaced both tires and tubes, the latter with ones that have some flat-sealing gunk in them - in general I don't like that stuff (it's clogged too many of my air valves) but she rides through enough nasty pointy stuff that's it's a worthwhile extra precaution. Also tightened the front axle a bit and cleaned/lubed the chain, plus I removed a few items she isn't using (bike computer, pump bracket, etc.)
Unfortunately with the cold weather returning I don't have much hope I'll get her to test the bikes out on the street tomorrow... hopefully they will hold up for her trips to and from work for the foreseeable future.
JMH
Friday, November 23, 2012
I suppose it depends on the turtle and on what needs fixing on the bike...
In this case, two of Ann's bikes were down for the count, and since that's her primary means to getting back and forth to work (because parking costs an outrageous amount) it's important to have them rolling again.
I tackled the backup, her mountain bike, first. Two broken links on the chain. So I sized a new chain and installed it... then had to take it apart again because I hadn't threaded it through the front derailleur, and the screw holding the derailleur closed was stripping when I tried to take it apart. Idiot! But the nice thing about replacing chains is it's not too difficult, as long as you're slow and careful so you don't push the rivet all the way out. But it is definitely a grungy job.
Then I went after her primary ride, an ancient steel 12 speed. The initial problem there was a flat, aggravated by the fact that after she replaced the dead tube, the next morning she found the tire flat again. Replaced both tires and tubes, the latter with ones that have some flat-sealing gunk in them - in general I don't like that stuff (it's clogged too many of my air valves) but she rides through enough nasty pointy stuff that's it's a worthwhile extra precaution. Also tightened the front axle a bit and cleaned/lubed the chain, plus I removed a few items she isn't using (bike computer, pump bracket, etc.)
Unfortunately with the cold weather returning I don't have much hope I'll get her to test the bikes out on the street tomorrow... hopefully they will hold up for her trips to and from work for the foreseeable future.
JMH
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
