The Bicycle And A Rab Photon

Bicycle Update

Almost a month ago I reported my efforts to get my bicycle back up and running, which efforts came to an abrupt halt when I couldn’t work out how to put the derailer (as I’ve now been told that it is called) back onto the bike, with the particular issue of the nut that fell off without me noticing where it came from.

The following day I took advantage of the staff in the bicycle section of Halfords being far too busy chatting to each other to pay any attention to a person browsing their department, and had a good look at how these things usually fit. I came away armed with a good idea where the mystery part went.

I then waited another week and a half, until Mick was home to lend me a third hand, but found that once I knew how it was supposed to go together, it was pretty easy with just the two hands. Didn’t even get them too oily.

The bike then languished for another couple of weeks, because there turned out also to be a problem with the front brake and I know as much about bicycle brakes as I do about derailers.

It was a need to visit the local Post Office last week that finally chivvied me into action. As much as I’m happy to wander aimlessly around the local fields for miles at a time, I really can’t be doing with having to walk into the village to go to the Post Office, so I needed my wheels.

Half an hour of staring at, then gingerly prodding the brake (unsurprisingly) didn’t achieve anything, so I took the bull by the horns and disassembled it (taking careful note this time as to where things fitted). A broken part was soon diagnosed and thanks to some ingenuity with a cable tie, was fixed. A few adjustments of adjustment screws, and both brakes were fully operational (an experience on my previous lacking-in-brakes bicycle told me that functioning brakes are definitely A Good Thing).

So, the bicycle lives.  Hurrah for the bicycle!

The Photon Hoody

The bicycle was in my mind because today I needed, once again, to pop down to the Post Office to pick up a parcel.

As I suspected, parcel contained Mick’s new Rab Photon Hoody. He’s been lusting after one for a while and at the weekend succumbed and ordered one.

I’ve nothing in particular to say about the item – but I thought that I’d post a photo of me modelling it for Mick’s benefit, so he can get to see it before the weekend.

I can report that I was fairly glowing after five minutes of wearing it, but that may be something to do with having just cycled up the hill (small slope really – I’m just not used to cycling!) from the village.

The taking of the photo actually became a mini-project of its own. I first tried, without much success, using various surfaces in the living as a camera stand. Then I remembered that I have a stash of tripods upstairs and that would be a far better solution and would allow me to use the (marginally) better light outside. Adjusting the tripod involved the loss of a chunk out of one of my fingers, and the result of the entire photo-project was a series of remarkably dodgy photographs – most of which look like I’m entering some sort of gurning competition.