Another Sunday job – cleaning the coffee roaster! Will I have time for a ride? Well, I did and my challenge to self has picked up with 100+ kilometres cycled this week.
Before serious cycling of the Anura could begin I had to sort out this puncture thing and how to get the tyre back on the rim (see previous post). On Monday I sat down with the internet and studied a number of YouTube vids of people explaining how to get a difficult tyre on a bicycle wheel. Not much different to what I was doing (except the first go when I naughtily and destructively used tyre levers to heave the tyre onto the rim) but spending more time going around the tyre working the bead into the centre well of the wheel – not just doing it once. One guy used toe straps to hold the tyre in place as he gained ground in the battle. So I tried again with the bead technique and straps and, pop, on it went at some cost of pain to thumbs. BUT when pumped up the inner tube deflated! This time the patch I had installed lifted. On the bright side, no inner tube was pinched this time!! So I bought a couple more inner tubes and a few more tyre levers of the plastic type (‘cos I had broken one getting the tyre off again!). Repeated the process ending up with even sorer thumbs and, another pop, tyre on. Pump up to 40 psi – all OK. Could hardly believe it. I can go for a ride.
Lessons learnt:
- I can still replace an inner tube/tyre on a 16″ wheel so I can go touring 🙂 .
- a so-called “Classic” puncture repair kit no longer includes a chalk stick to mark the hole in the inner tube (therefore not really such a “Classic” as it’s name suggests).
- The tyres on my Anura are slicks which have little recesses in them to indicate wear. There are now just slight indents where the recesses were so I think this indicates worn out. A set of kevlar belted “Scorchers” are on order from Greenspeed.
- There is a device available called a ‘tyre jack’. It helps get the tyre back on the wheel without risking a pinched inner tube and inflaming thumbs. I have ordered two – one for the trike and one for the Brompton and these will be tested when the new tyres arrive.
- Greenspeed is a company that provides great support, even if you have bought a second hand machine.
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I have probably mentioned it before but a new recumbent rider needs to get the recumbent muscles up and running and it takes a while. Some say 500 miles and one, whom I ignore, said 1,000 miles! I decided to fire my muscles up using the new cycle track between Perth and Breadalbane.
It is about 4 kilometers in length and, if cycled 3 times out and back, 24 kilometres are travelled. There are a couple of hills in each direction and a nice bit of downhill too. So I did a set of 3 on two days of the week learning how to spin and not stomp on the pedals in order to protect the knees. There are also some issues with gear changing with the derailleur having problems moving to a bigger ring. Some finesse of use helped but some maintenance is required. I cleaned some strange pink stuff off the chain, rings and sprockets, oiled the chain and it is working a little smoother. More work required though and the chain length needs checking as it may need a coupe of extra links after I pushed the boom out.
On the first bike path outing I met a bloke from Longford who is just putting the finishing touches to a Warrior DIY tadpole recumbent trike (plans obtained from the US). We expressed an interest in riding together but we forgot to provide addresses – swapped streets but not numbers ! A slow cycle up his road may find him.
An idea of the cycle track can be seen in this short video – Click HERE.
Out and back 3 times on 2 days added up to half of the week’s distance and gave me some time to get used to riding the trike. Initially riding it seems straightforward but then things like the gearing catches you out and cornering at speed needs some care if not nerve. It’s good to have somewhere away from traffic to practise. I have also cruised around the back streets of Longford and although cars seem much bigger from the low seat, they have all been wary of this old bloke on this odd machine and given more room than normal. Another thing that seems larger is an incoming DOG. On a trike you really are at biteable height. Luckily all met so far have been on leads or just well behaved. I also stir up an odd looking Alpaca. It is a black version with a very white face and it tears down the paddock towards me when I cycle past making a grunting noise (the alpaca, not me). Very entertaining.
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On Friday we cycled River Road and were a little dismayed to find logging occurring close to the turnaround point.
Apparently the log trucks are using the other road down to Exton so we should not be involved in their race against the clock. When we regrouped and talked at the turnaround, we could hear the machinery chewing through the forest. It looks like they are harvesting a eucalyptus plantation probably using the piece of machinery that grabs the tree, cuts it off at the bottom, turns it horizontally, drives it end to end to remove all branches and then snips what’s left into the length required to fit on the log truck. 1 man driving 1 machine does the work of several these days but still the economics of forestry seem to be tricky.
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Saturday was back to the cycle track with trike and, would you believe, after 2 out and backs another puncture! Sunday will be a day of rest and repair and relishing the opportunity to test the Tyre Jack thingo before the new tyres arrive.
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Next weekend we are returning the Bike E to Huonville. Ken is eagerly awaiting the delivery of his ‘sorted out’ recumbent – I think.
Till next time …..
Total for week : 122 k Total for year : 2,147 k
Vivente : 26 k Brompton : 14 k Bike E : 0 k Anura : 82
Tony's Tasmanian Cycling Blog 
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