Retro Grouch 

I got my tandem wheels and fork back from the couple who had borrowed them today. My plan is for my grandson to help me reinstall them next Saturday. I'm thinking that he'll be able to do almost all of it. His two brothers have a basketball game two blocks from our condo so grandma can go watch them play while Tyler and I are working on the bike.

stapfam

I think that is a bit unfair. Sending Grandma off to a Basketball game while you and Tyler enjoy yourself.

At least it will stop grandma interrupting the mechanicing with silly questions like- "Do you want a coffee"

zonatandem

36, 40 or 48 spoked wheels?
Enjoy, then go riding TWOgether!

Retro Grouch 

They're 40 spoke. Velocity Dyad rims on Hadley hubs with Alpine spokes. We have to reinstall the fork and stem, reinstall the front brake and computor sensor, replace the rear brake disc with a larger one and put both wheels back on the bike. I was able to disassemble the bike without disconnecting any of the control cables so there should be little, if any, tuneing required.

Installing the Avid brake arms is a job that he's done before so we'll see how much he remembers.

NOS88

Sounds good. Hope you're better at turning on the internal memory recorder than I am. Sometimes when I'm working on a project I forget to step back and take in what's really going on, because I'm too intent on getting the job done. Enjoy the time and make sure to watch it/participate in it in a way that will allow you to replay it in your head over and over. As you know, they don't stay young forever.

overthehillmedi

I hope you have a stash of the dietary supplements nearby required to ensure a solid performance from the two of you, rootbeer and Oreos. Enjoy the time.

Retro Grouch 

When his dad dropped him off I said that I had more work to do than we could possibly get done. When they came back to pick Tyler up, we had completed all of the jobs (worked on 3 different bikes) and were just putting our tools away.

The jobs that I had Tyler do were relatively simple bolt up jobs but he's learning his way around tools. I gave him the job of installing a bell on our recumbent tandem, showed him another recumbent so he could see how it was supposed to fit, and turned him loose to do by it himself - which he did.

He had fun riding around on grandma's recumbent trike too but he needed a pillow behind his back to make his feet reach the pedals.

If I'd have known how much fun grandkids were going to be, I'd have had them first.

stapfam

Tyler has a skill that he should put to good use. You can always tell a mechanic in the way he handles and uses tools. May only be a screwdriver but he will instinctly find the way to use it properly. Watch a "Non" mechanic use any tool and you will know what I mean.

qcpmsame 

This stuff makes it worth while for me. Your threads and you peoples' replies make my day. I wish John would finish college soon and we can get back into the garage again. Glad Tyler got to spend the day with you Grouch. Grand Pa's are the best.

Bill

B. Carfree

When I read that comment I nearly busted a gut. A friend of mine is 58. His second son turned 3 in December and his second daughter was born in November. He jokes about having his own grandchildren so that his two oldest kids (age 21 and 18) don't have to. I hope he is having as much fun as you are.

bobthib

RG, my grandson's name is Tyler! We must be related!

I don't think my Tyler's brother will be off playing basketball anytime soon. Mama still has 7 weeks to go. None the less, the baby is 7 lbs 8 oz! He'll be big enough to play basketball!

My Tyler is very mechanically inclined, like me and Mama. Daddy has his gifts in other areas. Don't let him near a tool!

Tyler will be 8 next month, and many of you have been following his saga as he has conqured a deadly childhood cancer. Right now he and I are in the hospital because he has a fever and the Drs take no chances. We won't be riding the tandem this weekend, but we will play "Elefunk" on the PS3. It's a cute little game where you have to use geometric shapes to build structures that will support various loads of elephants. I'm amazed at his intuitive understanding of the relative strenghts of the various parts, and how their strenght is increased or lessened depending on relative placements. I think he will be an engineer or architech.

Retro Grouch 

^^^^^^^

You realize, of course, that you can justify any equipment upgrade to your bikes by saying it's so you can spend more shop time with your grandson.

bobthib

I have learned this valuable and critical lesson. To a lesser degree it applies to such purchases for my SON as well.