Triker's update

To put your minds at rest, no, I haven't stopped triking, despite the month's silence on the blog - I've just had so many other things on my mind.

I've been on a couple of longer rides after work. Earlier in June, shortly after my last entry, I went round the south coast of the city, and in the west harbour I spotted these stainless steel spheres.


Later on my way home, disaster struck once again!


For some reason the chain parted, and I was pedalling fresh air briefly, till I realised what had happened. About 10 yards back down the road I found the one part and managed to hook the chain back together, but without the other plate it was too risky to ride. I wheeled the trike back down the road about half a mile, looking for the plate, but it was a bit like the old needle in a haystack. Fortunately I had spare ones at home, and soon got it fixed.

On a more recent ride to the eastern shopping centre I took a new route, and found myself on a bridge I didn't know of before.


The trains sometimes run overhead as you're walking or cycling underneath! One went over while I was there.

An even more recent ride took me round the main park north of the centre. I went clockwise, and found routes I hadn't been on before. I ended up at the old town, where the river gently pours itself over a weir.


This is the same place as in my March post Missed a day - but made up for it the next! but from the opposite direction.

The weakest link?

I went for a ride this afternoon. I was taking a bend to join another path in the park, when the cogs jammed, and I couldn't turn the pedals. At first I didn't know what had happened. Then I noticed the black upper chain tube jammed up on the front chain ring. I could pull it back a bit, but it took a while before I noticed what was stopping it: one of the chain link plates had come off at one end, and it was sticking through the tube!

I immediately had visions of me pushing it all the way home, but I got out my toolkit, tipped her on her side and managed to get the chain free from the tube. I was wishing I'd taken the chain link tool with me! Luckily I had a pair of pliers, and with some effort I managed to get the plate back in place sufficiently to enable me to ride. I decided it'd be safer to head for home than continue to where I'd planned to ride, in case it happened again with worse consequences.

When I got back I found the same link, and put the link tool on it and tightened it up, or made sure it was securely in place. Now I think I'm ready for a longer ride tomorrow (taking a winter holiday day off, if the weather is favourable), but I'll certainly be taking the link tool with me!