If we look tired, it's because we just cycled to this cafe, and it has been a bit of a learning curve for me, the whole 'buy a bike on TradeMe' experience.
Liam came too, and this was taken shortly before the two of them hi-tailed it off to other places and left me to my breakfast.
That's the latest bike in front, which I'd just brought fresh from 'Adventure Cycles' in Western Springs, where the nice chap there had spent some time poring over its parts and adjusting things for me. He was kind enough to talk me through most of it too, so I can see what's been done, and in some cases, do it myself when it comes to it. I bought the bike on Wednesday, on auction, and paid too much for it. (Found this out later). Ne'er mind. It has a rare shape - for NZ anyway - and I'm pretty happy with it at the moment. When I first had it delivered, and tried it out, strange shuffy noises came from the brakes, and different sound from the lower or upper gears, so I knew it was in desperate need of a service. Adventure Cycles just set up in the Western Springs area, and Bruce who runs it, is a keen cyclist, so I made a good choice in taking it to him. He adjusted the brakes and gears, tinkered with the spokes (ALWAYS impressive), got me up on it and adjusted the seat to suit me, helped me make changes to my bike rack on the car, so that it would take the different shape of this bike, and drove home very happy. SO this ride was to test drive it, so to speak.
It was a good trip - no unusual noises, and I even managed to get into most gears and used them. It was incredibly easy going up hills, but I fear my fitness level may decline if I resort to using them too avidly. The photo above is of sister and nephew in the shaded verandah area of the cafe at Henderson. Great day for a cycle.
If we look tired, it's because we just cycled to this cafe, and it has been a bit of a learning curve for me, the whole 'buy a bike on TradeMe' experience.
Liam came too, and this was taken shortly before the two of them hi-tailed it off to other places and left me to my breakfast.
That's the latest bike in front, which I'd just brought fresh from 'Adventure Cycles' in Western Springs, where the nice chap there had spent some time poring over its parts and adjusting things for me. He was kind enough to talk me through most of it too, so I can see what's been done, and in some cases, do it myself when it comes to it. I bought the bike on Wednesday, on auction, and paid too much for it. (Found this out later). Ne'er mind. It has a rare shape - for NZ anyway - and I'm pretty happy with it at the moment. When I first had it delivered, and tried it out, strange shuffy noises came from the brakes, and different sound from the lower or upper gears, so I knew it was in desperate need of a service. Adventure Cycles just set up in the Western Springs area, and Bruce who runs it, is a keen cyclist, so I made a good choice in taking it to him. He adjusted the brakes and gears, tinkered with the spokes (ALWAYS impressive), got me up on it and adjusted the seat to suit me, helped me make changes to my bike rack on the car, so that it would take the different shape of this bike, and drove home very happy. SO this ride was to test drive it, so to speak.
It was a good trip - no unusual noises, and I even managed to get into most gears and used them. It was incredibly easy going up hills, but I fear my fitness level may decline if I resort to using them too avidly. The photo above is of sister and nephew in the shaded verandah area of the cafe at Henderson. Great day for a cycle.
Good to hear that Bruce has opened his new shop. Must drop by on the way home.
ReplyDeleteYour comment about the gears reminds me of something Kent Peterson wrote: "Racers use gears to go faster ... I use gears to go slower." Sounds like me, too.