Its bad

Not quite a sqeak or a quiet knocking but a full on grind and growl as metal attempts to carve up metal. The bike sounds like it is literally about to fall about and every time I turn the cranks I think the back wheel is about to fall off. Its not safe to ride and I'll be taking the train for the remainder of the week.

So.

I've got until Saturday morning to make my decision but, at this moment, I'm leaning towards Cris's suggestion that I should get the bike repaired rather than replaced.

Weekly Total: 32.37 miles

Should I embrace the 'throw away' culture?

I'm not on the bike again today, but I am planning on using it to cycle in to the Juggling Club tonight so that I can assess quite how bad the bike is performing. It might be that it just needs a bloody good clean & degrease with a new chain slapped on it for good measure, but then again, I made a couple of calls to gauge what the possible costs of a shop service would be if I had to have the cassette, chainset and chain replaced - the average price quoted was £100 which included a full service.

Now, £100 isn't a huge amount of money when you think I've traveled over 1000 miles on the metal beast and that I'm planning on doing at least 1000 more, but at the same time, I find myself considering that the bike itself was only worth £210 and that I've already spent £80 on on service for it (last year) so is it worth forking out another £100+ when I could replace the entire bike for just a little more than the cost of the service?

I've looked at the possibility of replacing the components myself, but a quick look through eBay reveals that the cost of buying the required parts (and hoping that I get the correct ones) as well as buying the tools required to complete the job are almost the same as the projected service cost. I as well letting a shop do the job and save myself the hassle.

So, do I go down the lazy (and marginally more expensive) route of replacing the entire bike or do I fork out for a full shop service or buy the parts and learn to be the bike mechanic that I should be? Hopefully my test ride this evening will reveal the answers.

Limping home

The bike is sounding pretty bad after today. The grinding noise seems to be coming from the rear hub and I was able to hear (and feel) it over the music from my iPod. Guess its time to face up to that service after all then.

I reckon I'll ride it out for the remainder of the week then take it in at the weekend. Might as well hand them a blank cheque too...

Weekly Total: 23.30 miles

Respect

Spent the weekend watching the Glastonbury footage on TV - it looked amazing and I have the utmost respect for the punters who stayed on through the bad weather at the start.

Weekly Total: 11.68miles

Deflated

Cycle home looked set to be a cracker again with the afternoon sun making an appearance.

The overall enjoyment factor was only slightly dulled by the puncture I managed to pick up only 10 mins into the journey, but where better to sit and repair a tube than next to a lock gate on a canal bank with the sun beaming down on you?

Weekly Total: 75.21 miles
Overall Total: 1188.2 miles

Getting Stronger

As I cycled in this morning I was considering how much has changed since I started this blog.

Back at the start I would write about 'battling fierce headwinds' and 'cycling through torrential rainstorms' but today I found myself cycling against a brisk headwind and through a misty rain shower and thinking 'so what?'. I'm finding that its getting easier and easier to climb on to that bike every morning and I'm not looking for excuses to get the train in.

That being said, those last few miles really took it out of me and my legs are killing me! I must have looked like I was overdoing it too, because when I stopped at a traffic light to allow some school kids to cross the road, the lolipop lady chirped out 'need a wee rest, son? I'll away and press the button again, if ye like?'

Classic Glasgow banter.

Weekly Total: 63.59 miles

Juggling time

I didn't take the bike in on Tuesday because I knew I was working late and decided it might be a little foolish to attempt to cycle home after the shift. I never realised that I'd be working till 5.30AM however!

Sun was shining and although I was feeling pretty knackered, I took the bike in to work and managed to last 3 hours before being sent back home again (nice one).

Back home, bit of nosh, back on the bike to meet Cris at the Crossroads pub on Queen Margaret Drive (which is where they filmed the bar scene from Trainspotting, apparently) then off down to the Juggling Club for some futile attempts at ball and club juggling and some BTB weaving with the poi.

Lovely evening.

Weekly Total: 52.14 miles

Back on the trail again

Monday morning and the bike is out again.

Hammering along the canal path this morning, I passed by a mate of mine who has also taken up the cycling habit now. John has been persuaded to try out cycling in to work and it was great to see him following through with his promises.

Funny thing was, we both had the same kind of kit: dodgy shorts and iPods blaring. Love it.

Weekly Total: 11.69miles

Catch Up

Been a bit hectic over the past few days so here's a short summary of events.

Wednesday
Glasgow Juggling Club with Cris. Good laugh, great to chill out and enjoy a couple of pints after it too.

Thursday
In and out then back in again. I cycled in for my day shift but elected to allow the company to pay for my transport back in to work for the evening stint. Late finish (midnight) meant I had no intentions of cycling in the next day.

Friday
Basement Jaxx @ The Barras. Simply the best venue in Glasgow, if not Scotland and a wicked act to go along and see. Superb gig, amazing stage show and a brilliant night out.

Weekly Total: 75.64 miles
Overall Total: 1113.0 miles

It didn't stay away..

The rain came down and I cycled home. It made a nice change to cycle on the road again (without any music) and the waterproofs did exactly what they were supposed to do (cheers Jimbo).

Weekly Total: 44.21miles

Stay away rain

Another dryish morning, another enjoyable journey in to work.

Weekly Total: 33.69miles

Lovely

No sign of the rain when I left work to cycle back home, so the journey was completed in shorts & t-shirt with the tunes blaring as I tore up the canal path.

Lovely.

Weekly Total: 22.84miles

'Bit Breezy'

I felt totally obliged to cycle in this morning after receiving my bottle of champagne over the weekend, I couldn't let down the boys, could I?

Anyway, I thought I was doing well just to hang on to the bike as I battled against the wind, that was until I pulled up alongside a fellow biker and commented on the conditions.

'Aye, its a bit breezy' retorted the lycra clad neon beacon as he pedalled off into the distance.

And there was me thinking I'd just pedalled through a hurricane, too.

Weekly Total: 11.27miles

Fire at Casa Framebo

The weekend is over, but what a weekend.

I had to work on Saturday but this inconvenience was more than compensated for when The Plumber hosted the final party at Casa Framebo.

Top quality BBQ spread, free flowing beer as well as Moscow Mules and Dr Pepper by the bucketload and a glorious camp fire. Entertainment was laid on with a variety of poisters (with and without fire), jugglers, various discussions about the merits of R2D2 in the bid for world domination and a poker game in which I was knocked out after only 2 hands.

Around 2.30am, I was presented with a bottle of fine champagne and toasted on reaching my commuting milestone. this was a particular honour for me, not because of my achievment on the bike, but because I was surrounded by my closest friends, who humbled me completely when they raised a toast to me.

Anyway, the night rambled on until there were only 4 remaining. The campfire still burned brightly but the morning sun was beginning to consider making an appearance bringing with it a very spiritual sense of belonging as we sat together and enjoyed the calm of early dawn.

Feeling rough today.

Can't beat that Friday Feeling

Yup, its sunny again, its the end of the week, the weekend's social events are looking amazing and, to top it all off, I've just been told that I've been successful in my recent application to join another team within the company. I guess it was worth having to wear that suit for the interview, after all.

I'm off to do some celebrating now (and will try to ignore the fact that I'm working from 7am to 5pm tomorrow)!!

Weekly Total: 92.22miles

Nice

Friday.

Sunny.

Niiiiiice.

:o)

Weekly Total: 80.63miles

Half Way There!!

I made it through the 1000 mile barrier today, only 1000 more miles to go!! The freaky thing is that after the ride in to work this morning, the odometer is showing 1002.5miles, which is exactly half the 2005 mile distance I want to cover this year. Spooky.

It feels brilliant to have reached this milestone, it definitely feels like an achievement and I have to admit to feeling more than proud about the fact that I've managed to turn myself around from being a lazy fat slob to being a slimmed down version of my former self with loads more energy and enthusiasm for exercise. Sounds corny, but its true - without my bike I'd be feeling middle aged and past it. I owe Cris Walsh a big 'thank you' for persuading me to get into the saddle and start peddling.

For the geeks amongst us, some stats from the first half of my 2005 cycling challenge:

Main

No. of days cycling: 48
Total miles cycled: 1002.5miles
Av. miles per day: 20.89miles

Repairs

No. of punctures: 10
Other repairs: 1 x snapped saddle pin


Weather

Wet days: 4
Snow/sleet: 2


Other Stats

Races (won / total): 2/3
Fastest time: 39mins58secs
Free coffee: 1
Most number of people on the bike at one time: 3


Finally

Date challenge started: 24/1/05
Time taken to reach halfway point: 136 days
True av. miles per day: 7.37miles

I've already got plans for next years challenge, but I guess I'd better focus on completing this year's target first!

Need more luggage space

One of the drawbacks of cycling in to work is that you have a limited amount of luggage space.

I have a single pannier bag that I use to transport my change of clothes, towel, shower gel and deodorant and if I squeeze a jacket into the bag as well, there is no room left for anything else (to save on space, I also have a dedicated pair of work trainers that reside permanently under my desk).

On a normal day, this lack of space causes me no concern whatsoever but on the odd occasions that I might have perhaps been doing a little internet shopping, I find myself needing an extra bag or two to help transport the goods home (I get most purchases delivered to my work address - saves missing the delivery if no-one is home).

To that effect, I had to abandon the bike today and come in by train in order that I can lug home a box of DVD's, a couple of spare inner tubes, some headphones and (hopefully delivered later today) a hard drive - all things I'm 'collected' over the past week or so.

I really need to either cut down on the shopping frenzies or find a larger pannier bag.

Weekly Total: 44.69miles

Clean Machine

I decided to clean my bike when i got home last night - it hadn't been degreased for a couple of weeks and the chain was started to sound more than a little rough.

An hour later, I had a sparkling, clean bike, 2 small soapy children and a whole bunch of 'clean' stones in the garden after the kids decided to expand their cleaning business.

The chain and gears were running smooth this morning and the puncture free experience continues.

Weekly Total: 34.88miles

Monday again

Banish those Monday morning blues with a cycle ride in to work! Its amazing how much more enjoyable the journey is when you don't get any punctures.

A top weekend of banter and beer with the Pumber and the DB providing the majority of the entertainment. Weekends like that make you appreciate how little effort it takes to enjoy yourself.

Happy Birthday (yesterday), Plumber.

Another $%£!!* Puncture!

So the sun was blazing by the time it was time for me to leave the office - the dreary skies of the morning had completely disappeared and a summer vibe was in the air. My sunny disposition lasted all of 5 minutes, however, when I discovered that my rear tyre was flat again!

This time I decided to really tear the wheel apart. The inner tube was pulled out, the tyre was levered off the rim and then I sat on the kerbside and began to thoroughly inspect every inch of the tyre.

It took me about 30mins before I found the (very literal) thorn in my side. A tiny sliver of glass, no longer than the thickness of the tyre itself was embedded in the rubber and invisible to human eye and only revealed itself when the tyre was stretched wide. This tiny bastard was so small that it could only cause a problem once the tube was inflated and the bike was under way.

It took another 10 mins before the damn thing released its grip on its hiding place but after getting rid of that, putting in a new inner tube and pumping up the wheel I was finally ready for the journey home.

Which was glorious, because of the sunshine and the gentle breeze and the fact that I didn't get a single puncture on the way. I'm still going to buy new tyres though.

Weekly Total: 43.38miles
Overall Total: 945.1miles

Another Puncture?!!!

I was glad to be back on the bike again after having to wear my whistle and flute" yesterday.

The rain stayed away but my luck with that bastard rear tyre certainly hasn't changed and I found myself undergoing another pit stop by the roadside about 30 mins into the journey.

I've decided that its not the tubes that are at fault (or indeed the oversized rider) but the tyre itself. The tyre is worn and has tiny wee nicks all over it which, I'm guessing, are causing the inner tube to either pinch or be puncture by fairly innocuous objects like twigs, or a passing leaf. I've decided i'm going to have to buy myself a decent set of semi-slick, kevlar beaded and preferably bullet proof tyres to resolve this problem.