Tuesday 28 July 2009

The New Bicycle...

George Bernard Shaw said:
"Life contains but two tragedies. One is not to get your heart's desire; the other is to get it. "The saga of how I obtained this bicycle is long, tedious and a cause of great personal anguish...
The original spec was for a 24 inch frame. I ended up with a 22 inch frame but I haven't the energy to complain about it...
When I took delivery it had 28 inch wheels with Strumey Archer 3 speed but it didn't 'feel' right for some reason so I fitted the (ludicrously expensive) wheels that were intended for the cycle-motor project...
It's now single speed (22 tooth rear cog), has a rear coaster brake and front hub brake...
I'm involved in a process of eliminating all the clanks, clicks, knockings and creakings that, I suspect, would all disappear if I removed the fully enclosed chain case...
It's eating cotter pins at a rate of one a day which says a lot about the quality of the pins I can get hold of and it still refuses to be ridden 'look, no hands' which I believe to be the test of a good bicycle...

George Bernard Shaw also remarked:
'A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing. '

Errr...?
Anybody want to buy a bicycle...?

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