There’s some good news..

Its like that only blue
It's like that only blue

.. and some bad news. The good news is I completely failed to spend a number closely associated with the sound of a high velocity rolling pin connecting with ones wedding vegetables. The bad news is that I still appear to have bought a cross bike. Not a new one, not even close to a new one, but not one that has been ridden much either.

After the trauma of buying from a bloke in a shed, this time I’ve gone for a purchasing strategy involving someone I know. And not just someone, the renowned Seb Rogers of taking-fantastic-photographs fame. I’m giving him some cash, and his under stairs space back in exchange for a pre-love Kona Jake and a quick rag round some of his local (Mendip) trails.

The eagle eyed amongst you will notice a chainring count of ones less than optimal, and a rear cassette with cogs ranging from “small” to “dwarf”. So an ideal set of ratios for an area of the country that is reasonably well known for not being entirely flat.

Seb’s also throwing in the amusingly named “suicide levers” which may prevent almost certain death on the first off road descent. Yep, I’m definitely taking it off road, although my innate honestly forces me to admit that a) it’ll be lame off road and b) I’ll be going even slower than normal.

So does this mean the end of the trusty Roadrat? At 3000 miles and 28 months, it is both the longest serving and longest riding bike I’ve ever owned. Obviously in AlWorld(tm), this makes it just about the perfect time to sell it. Dunno tho, the Jake isn’t costing much, the Roadrat owes me nothing, and when is an extra bike ever a bad thing?

Still I may very well be hating everything duo-wheeled tomorrow after rotating up and down the Malverns with nary a tube. Fitting tubeless tyres wasn’t exactly difficult, but I hadn’t factored three tyre levers into the purchase price. One of which shattered in such a manner, I’m pretty sure there’s a bit embedded in my skull somewhere.

But it’s like the cross bike. I mean, really, what can possibly go wrong?

11 thoughts on “There’s some good news..

  1. Lord Jingles

    I’m sending you my body armour. I know you have some but wear mine as well. In fact, wear a space suit… Still, I hear they can transplant entire limbs now so perhaps you’ll get legs longer than the average hobbit! πŸ™‚

    Good luck!

  2. Alex

    NBT, that article was terrible. I’m glad I’m not getting one of those bikes, they clearly don’t work very well. Can’t believe that holds for the one I’m buying πŸ˜‰

    I may have oversold my off road aspirations. We’re talking some muddy tracks and a bit of woody singletrack. In fact, I’m thinking of calling the route “Normal Chilterns”

    I have no intention of taking it to bits. I mean look at it, there’s really nothing TO take to bits!

  3. Alex

    Just waiting for the right time πŸ™‚ Probably about now then! Anyway I’m sure I mentioned in between the electrics exploding and you nearly setting fire to the house πŸ˜‰

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *