So, because the bike shop is so busy, it will take a week to have mine sorted. The asked the guy running the shop whether business was good. He said it was, but that he was getting a lot of abuse from people who were demanding their bikes be fixed the same day.
Had a go on No.1 Son's black, carbon fibre rocket, but nah - it's not for me. The gears are a nightmare to operate and the seat is as hard as nails. Add to that those dorky pedals that require special cycling shoes and the whole thing becomes unappealing.
Brother-in-law said I could use his bike. Seized brake cable on one brake and the other has snapped. Not a chance.
Our neighbour, Colin, said I could use his bike which is a DiamondBack and looks great. The seat is actually comfortable too, despite being of the razor blade variety.
Colin had paid £400 for it and had used it only a couple of times, since when it's been languishing in his garden for 2 years. Flat tyres, manky as hell, top gear of the x3 didn't go beyond x2 and the back brake was as useless as my bike. On top of that, the brakes are hydraulic, meaning I don't have a clue as to now to adjust them. There's not even a YouTube video showing how to adjust this particular make of brakes.
Cleaned the bike up with some silicone spray. Pumped up the tyres. Got the rear brake working in a manner of speaking. Lubricated the derailleur so it worked. Left the bike for half an hour and returned to find the front tyre flat as a pancake. An inspection of the inner tube highlighted a repair that had failed. Bought a new inner tube for £6 and fitted it in a trice. Had another go at adjusting the rear brake and went for a spin. The rear brake was dragging hideously.
There's no way I can use it for a long ride, as the back wheel simply drags too much, making it a lot of effort no matter the gear ratio selected. No amount of adjustment would free the brake sufficiently without the side effect of rendering it totally useless. Can't take it to the bike shop for servicing, as it would also take a week to be done.
I'm just going to have to wait for my bike to be fixed. I did suggest to Hay that she could use her bike and I'd tag along on the Triumph Daytona. For some reason it didn't go down as well as I thought it would.
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