Oh for fu...

We got our tandem replacement rear wheel (Delivered by the customary surly twat) on Thursday (Three weeks and six days after returning it) put it in the bike, pumped it up, set the bike on the ground and immediately got a puncture due to the rim tape being so pathetic. Aaargh!

Yesterday, we made a trip to get some spare inner tubes and new cloth rim tape. I applied the rim tape last night, pumped the wheels up and waited for today's cycle excitedly (And with a little bit of nervousness). Today, we got up, got all our cycling clobber on and prepared to go out for a cycle on our new unused tandem. The one side SPD/one side platform pedals I bought didn't seem to want me to clip into them so I took them off and replaced them with some single sided pedals I already had and we got ready for the off. What a friggin disaster!

I knew it might be tough trying to cycle on a tandem for the first time but the bloody thing must be totally buggered. We couldn't even freewheel about fifty metres without the violent shunting of the back wheel causing us to almost fall off (And this was at only about 10mph). Stopping it was a ropey manouver too. There seems to be something seriously wrong with this bicycle. Surely we should have been able to freewheel at low speeds without feeling like we're going to fall off all the time and having the bike moving about of its own accord?

Given all the problems we've had with this tandem, at times it makes me feel like I'm going a bit mental. I would dearly love just to have it all sorted out and be able to get out on it, especially as it was the only Christmas present we had got one another.

Filth!

I went out (Alone, for the first time in ages) today for a cycle. Asides from not drinking enough and giving myself a headache, I got completely minging. My bike frame was covered in spatters of filth (Even though I've got full length mudguards fitted) and took some cleaning once I got home, as did I. I don't think I've ever appreciated a shower so much in my whole life. The poor cycle shoes I was wearing are caked in a combination of water, mud and cow dung (I cycled along little country roads). I'll try to dry them off and then give them a good clean. They deserve it for keeping my feet warm. Euch! It was pretty stinky (Although I don't mean that in terms of actual smell) indeed.

More to the point, I wondered if that means it's now time to get out the winter bike and put my beloved main cycle away for the winter? I suppose I probably should. I had been thinking I could use my main bike until the powers that be started gritting the roads (Which I'm not complaining about as I would rather have grit than ice) but the general wet filth one encounters round this time of year suggests there's more than mere grit to contend with. That being the case, have a pleasant hibernation little bicycle and I hope I find the winter bike to my pleasing.

PunctureRepairKit.co.uk

For any of you who read this but don't look at the PunctureRepairKit main site, I thought I would point out I've just bought the web address www.PunctureRepairKit.co.uk. Prior to this, I had been using the address www.PunctureReparKit.tk but there were annoying pop-up adverts with it and, besides, I thought the '.tk' suffix wasn't as good as 'co.uk'.

Please let me point out my choosing 'co.uk' isn't any sort of political statement and doesn't portray anything stupid like that. It was cheaper than '.com', more memorable for the general populous than '.ie' and that's why I used it.

Be sure to have a look at the main site and forward any input about it eg. cycle routes, tea shops, constructive criticism etc. I hope you enjoy it.