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bicyclesI hardly ever ride Clyde, my Globe Specialized Carmel hybrid, anymore. It's a fun ride, but inconvenient for commuting (lights need batteries, rear fender doesn't prevent road spatter, rack doesn't hold much, greasy chain has no guard...). I prefer Eleanor O, my Dutch Workcycles Omafiets, for everyday use.
But I was very glad of Clyde when, a couple of weekends ago, I managed to break one tiny little part on Eleanor.
The part was the tensioning bolt in the Brooks saddle. It's a small part with a big job: to lengthen the saddle frame just a hair at a time as the saddle leather begins to stretch, and, incidentally, to fix the saddle onto its undersprings--i.e., to keep it on the bike. I...might have overdone the tensioning just a bit, and snap went the bolt.
I had to order a replacement from SJS Cycles in Bridgwater, Somerset, UK (about 6000 miles from home for me) because nobody in the US seems to carry it. It cost a whopping five bucks, I think, and three times for shipping it.
Cheaper than a new Brooks saddle, but I've really missed riding my sturdy, reliable, no-fuss Oma.
The part came today, so I hope to be back in the saddle tomorrow, and good old Clyde can return to collecting spiderwebs on the front porch.
But I was very glad of Clyde when, a couple of weekends ago, I managed to break one tiny little part on Eleanor.
The part was the tensioning bolt in the Brooks saddle. It's a small part with a big job: to lengthen the saddle frame just a hair at a time as the saddle leather begins to stretch, and, incidentally, to fix the saddle onto its undersprings--i.e., to keep it on the bike. I...might have overdone the tensioning just a bit, and snap went the bolt.
I had to order a replacement from SJS Cycles in Bridgwater, Somerset, UK (about 6000 miles from home for me) because nobody in the US seems to carry it. It cost a whopping five bucks, I think, and three times for shipping it.
Cheaper than a new Brooks saddle, but I've really missed riding my sturdy, reliable, no-fuss Oma.
The part came today, so I hope to be back in the saddle tomorrow, and good old Clyde can return to collecting spiderwebs on the front porch.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-27 06:21 pm (UTC)It's so interesting to learn the intricacies of how our bikes act, isn't it?
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Date: 2011-11-27 09:07 pm (UTC)On the other hand, I bought a Dutch Workcycles bike so I wouldn't have to care, you know? Generally speaking, if anything goes wrong with Eleanor--which it hardly ever does--I take her in to Clever Cycles and let them fix it--just as I would take my car to the mechanic if I still had a car.
I'm a great believer in paying someone else, wherever it's remotely feasible, to do what I don't wanna do. And bending down to fix my heavy, heavy Dutch bike is something I don't wanna do. But today I have to, rain and all, because I really want to have my Eleanor back.