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08-19-06, 02:48 PM
Had a bit of time this afternoon so all the bikes got a good checkover. First the road bike. Only had it a couple of months and 900 miles. Thought I had a bit of break rub last time out so checked the wheels for true- They are ok but I was getting brake rub. One of the blocks had gone askew and was just touching the tyre when applied. Quick adjustment but checked all the nuts and bolts to see if anything else was coming adrift- Luckily ok but made a mental note to stop using additives in the water bottle as leakage is making a mess on the downtube.
Then the Mountain bike. It has not been used a great deal recently so good going over on this one. Both front and rear brake blocks were shot so out with the spares box to look for the replacement pads I always have in stock and found two new complete sets of Blocks. Bought them last year to put on the mountain bike as the old blocks were getting old. (They do have a habit of breaking after about 3 years and I have never changed them in the 5 years I have had the bike.). Felt lazy so just changed the pads as it is a quicker job.
Then onto the Tandem as this had a flat rear tyre. This was a bu**er as I had put the slicks on the tight wheels so it was going to be a hard job to get the tyre off. It started out OK. Tyre released from the rim and pushed down into the center recess. Then in go two tyre levers and struggle but for some reason this was extra difficult today. Checked it over and as soon as I put the tyre back into the recess- the tyre came off easily. OK wheres the PUMP. Someone borrowed it last week so time to see if the New Road bike pump works. It didn't so strip and check it out. Took it apart nothing wrong- put it back together and it worked. Pump the tube up and find the puncture. That tube was going down fast and no need to look for a puncture. The tube had perished. No spare tube in this size so on with the other wheels to keep the Tandem mobile. Just in case I can talk some idiot into riding it with me as my co-rider is on holoday at present.
Now that perished tube. Must be about 4 years old and had always been put back into a well talced tyre. I never bother about checking for Rubber degradation so did not realise that it had perished. The make is a good one- Hutchinson- so can't put it down to a cheap manufacturer. No known reason for it to have gone, EXCEPT-- All the other tubes I have in use are Latex. I got a good deal on these about 3 years ago so bought 10 of them for the Mountain bike-normal size tyres. (1.8 to 2.1 is the size I fit) These slicks are 1.4's so required their own special tubes and I did not bother about latex for them as I don't use the slicks all that often.
I now have all 3 bikes ready to roll tomorrow. Still don't know what the weather is going to be but I dare say I'll find out at 8am when I hope to get out. Funny thing is though, a few years ago I could have checked the bikes over and not found any faults. Perhaps I am getting lax in my checking after a bike ride. but finding the time to check these bikes over this afternoon has probably saved me a mechanical on any of these 3 on the next trip out.
Then the Mountain bike. It has not been used a great deal recently so good going over on this one. Both front and rear brake blocks were shot so out with the spares box to look for the replacement pads I always have in stock and found two new complete sets of Blocks. Bought them last year to put on the mountain bike as the old blocks were getting old. (They do have a habit of breaking after about 3 years and I have never changed them in the 5 years I have had the bike.). Felt lazy so just changed the pads as it is a quicker job.
Then onto the Tandem as this had a flat rear tyre. This was a bu**er as I had put the slicks on the tight wheels so it was going to be a hard job to get the tyre off. It started out OK. Tyre released from the rim and pushed down into the center recess. Then in go two tyre levers and struggle but for some reason this was extra difficult today. Checked it over and as soon as I put the tyre back into the recess- the tyre came off easily. OK wheres the PUMP. Someone borrowed it last week so time to see if the New Road bike pump works. It didn't so strip and check it out. Took it apart nothing wrong- put it back together and it worked. Pump the tube up and find the puncture. That tube was going down fast and no need to look for a puncture. The tube had perished. No spare tube in this size so on with the other wheels to keep the Tandem mobile. Just in case I can talk some idiot into riding it with me as my co-rider is on holoday at present.
Now that perished tube. Must be about 4 years old and had always been put back into a well talced tyre. I never bother about checking for Rubber degradation so did not realise that it had perished. The make is a good one- Hutchinson- so can't put it down to a cheap manufacturer. No known reason for it to have gone, EXCEPT-- All the other tubes I have in use are Latex. I got a good deal on these about 3 years ago so bought 10 of them for the Mountain bike-normal size tyres. (1.8 to 2.1 is the size I fit) These slicks are 1.4's so required their own special tubes and I did not bother about latex for them as I don't use the slicks all that often.
I now have all 3 bikes ready to roll tomorrow. Still don't know what the weather is going to be but I dare say I'll find out at 8am when I hope to get out. Funny thing is though, a few years ago I could have checked the bikes over and not found any faults. Perhaps I am getting lax in my checking after a bike ride. but finding the time to check these bikes over this afternoon has probably saved me a mechanical on any of these 3 on the next trip out.