RR: Learn with Jon

After the previous success of Jon's 'Learn how to not get lost and catch
hypothermia' lesson earlier in the year, Jon will be continuing in his
role as a warning to other humans, with some further lessons today.

But first, an introduction.

So, I finally had a weekend in Germany. Well that would never do, so I
hit the road before 7 this morning and headed down to La Roche in the
Belgian Ardennes.

I took a new (to me) route covering about 15 miles. Lots of hills and a
mixture of fireroad and singletrack with the gorgeous scenery as usual.
I didn't take many photos, as I've got plenty of pics of the views
across La Roche. However, did take a couple:
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/laroche/11.jpg
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/laroche/12.jpg

It was nice to be back on some big hills and I was feeling good. After
completing the loop, I did a bit of maintenance back at the car and took
a route out that I've done a couple of times before. This route is only
10km long, but is probably the most demanding trail I've ever ridden,
both from a point of exertion and technicalness (is that a word?).
There's no relaxing it's steep up and steep down. Repeat.

I came to the final descent, and this children, is where the lessons
beginneth. Although I've ridden this trail before, a drop to turn
caught me out and I hit it too fast. Recovered, but then both wheels
washed out on the loose rocks. I got the feet out, but I was still
travelling at over 20mph. A mixture of surfing the top tube and the
stem and doing a 'sprint a hobby horse' impression, I stayed upright.
Yay! Then the pain in my calf kicked in. Hmm, a chainring tattoo with
lots of blood (a visit to the toilet later showed that my calf wasn't
the only part bleeding...). No problem, thinks I. I have a first aid
kit, I can patch that up. Opened up the kit to find out that it's
actually pretty poor. So children, make sure you have decent stuff in
your first aid kit, or you'll end up with a dressing like this:
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/laroche/13.jpg
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/laroche/14.jpg

Should be pointed out that under the circumstances, I came out pretty
well. Crashing at 20+mph in a rock garden would not have been pretty.

Patched up, I got back on the bike and went to pedal off. Crunch.
Lesson 2. After a crash, make sure your chain isn't wrapped up or it
will bend links all over the place.

Chain sorted out (well, not really), I cruised further down the hill and
after about 200m, psssst. ****ing great, pinch flat with 55psi in the
tyres. No problem, thinks I. I have a spare tube. Go to put in air
and realise there's a hole in it. Lesson 3 kids, always check your
spares, even if they're new. And, if you haven't used your patch kit in
ages because you haven't had a puncture, then the glue goes dry and is
**** all use. Here endeth lesson 4.

Oh, and as I was removing the wheel, I realised that at some point
during the day, I'd snapped the rear axle:
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/misc/brokenaxle1.jpg

When it rains, it pours...

So, with flat rear and broken axle, I cruised the couple of km back in
to town putting as little weight on the rear as possible. Got quite a
few looks as I flew down the hill into town, stem-shagging with this
loud flapping noise.

Anyway, how to compensate for a bout of crappy luck? Buy 30-odd Belgian
trappist beers: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/misc/beers.jpg

The downside of all of this is that the bike's going to be out of action
for a while. The rear hub's screwed, the rear rim's a bit manky after
being ridden for several km with a flat tyre, the chain's screwed and
I'm not sure I can be bothered to fix it all. I'm looking at a new bike
and I don't want to spend a lot patching this up when the money can go
towards the new bike. Ho hum, I'll mull it over...

On Sat, 09 Aug 2003 18:56:55 +0200, bomba did issue forth:

I didn't take many photos, as I've got plenty of pics of the views
across La Roche. However, did take a couple:
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/laroche/11.jpg
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/laroche/12.jpg

Oooh. Pretty.

technicalness (is that a word?).

Damned if I know. Seeing as it's you, we'll let it slip this once.

No problem, thinks I. I have a first aid kit, I can patch that up.
Opened up the kit to find out that it's actually pretty poor. So
children, make sure you have decent stuff in your first aid kit, or
you'll end up with a dressing like this:
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/laroche/13.jpg
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/laroche/14.jpg

You were never a boy scout, were you? Be prepared, and all that malarkey.

Patched up, I got back on the bike and went to pedal off. Crunch.
Lesson 2. After a crash, make sure your chain isn't wrapped up or it
will bend links all over the place.

Preaching to the choir. I know that one well.

When it rains, it pours...

The path of your life is strewn with cowpats from the Devil's own satanic
herd.

Anyway, how to compensate for a bout of crappy luck? Buy 30-odd Belgian
trappist beers: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/misc/beers.jpg

Mmmmmm... Belgian beers. Mind if I pop round and help myself to a couple?

The downside of all of this is that the bike's going to be out of action
for a while. The rear hub's screwed, the rear rim's a bit manky after
being ridden for several km with a flat tyre, the chain's screwed and
I'm not sure I can be bothered to fix it all. I'm looking at a new bike
and I don't want to spend a lot patching this up when the money can go
towards the new bike. Ho hum, I'll mull it over...

Go on, like you need an excuse to buy a new bike? Go! Spend! Make
yourself happy!

Huw "Can't bloody ride at all at the moment" Pritchard

"bomba" wrote in message
...
Anyway, how to compensate for a bout of crappy luck? Buy 30-odd Belgian
trappist beers: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/misc/beers.jpg

Mmmmmm, Chimay. That is the single most thing about drinking that I miss.

On Sat, 09 Aug 2003 20:41:35 +0200, bomba did issue forth:

Still ill?

Been ill for the last four weeks. I've got a respiratory infection.
Anything more stressful than a gentle ride to work, and I nearly cough up
a lung. Doctors say there's nowt they can do about it, so I'm just going
to have to sit it out.

Damn.

Huw "Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, vomit" Pritchard

I came to the final descent, and this children, is where the lessons
beginneth. Although I've ridden this trail before, a drop to turn
caught me out and I hit it too fast. Recovered, but then both wheels
washed out on the loose rocks. I got the feet out, but I was still
travelling at over 20mph. A mixture of surfing the top tube and the
stem and doing a 'sprint a hobby horse' impression, I stayed upright.
Yay! Then the pain in my calf kicked in. Hmm, a chainring tattoo with
lots of blood (a visit to the toilet later showed that my calf wasn't
the only part bleeding...). No problem, thinks I. I have a first aid
kit, I can patch that up. Opened up the kit to find out that it's
actually pretty poor. So children, make sure you have decent stuff in
your first aid kit, or you'll end up with a dressing like this:
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/laroche/13.jpg
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/laroche/14.jpg


I see you're a hack at field dressings and riding!
But hey, I'll take a nasty calf gash over a head injury any day.
Glad it wasn't worse because it very easily could've been.
--
Slacker

bomba wrote

Anyway, how to compensate for a bout of crappy luck? Buy 30-odd Belgian
trappist beers: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/misc/beers.jpg

What a coincidence. I picked up twenty or so bottles of Belgians today
myself. Chimay, Corsendonk, several different brands of geuze. I
****ing love geuze, and it's nearly impossible to find a lot of the
time.

Cheers! Heal well.

CC

BB wrote:

http://www.j-harris.net/bike/laroche/13.jpg


Ouch! That's a whole lot better than any dressing I'd come up with in the
same situation. I'd be wearing a headband.

Ah, I'm not such an idiot then. I need to get some decent dressing and
some better tape and I should be ok.

Anyway, how to compensate for a bout of crappy luck? Buy 30-odd Belgian
trappist beers: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/misc/beers.jpg


Oh, yeah! Part of my recent 'round Europe trip was trying lots 'n lots of
beers & ales. My absolute favorite was the Belgian - the trappist ones
were great (tried Chimay & Westmalle) but the Duvel was really tasty as
well. The German beers were sort of a letdown after that.

Hehe, I know what you mean. After all, I live in Germany and still do
most of my beer shopping in Belgium

The downside of all of this is that the bike's going to be out of action
for a while.


Thats a bummer. Sounds like you need a TANK the way you ride!

Well, the bike is pretty well built, but I still seem to break stuff.
It's why I switched over to bmx in the late 90's, but even that wasn't
so successful. I keep breaking pedals and brakes. The cranks, saddle
rails and seat post are all bent and I've busted a frame called 'STA' -
Stronger Than All' /sigh

Nice axle even nicer leg. Well the leg won't have to
come off. You can replace the axle or the whole wheel. Good luck on
healing.

Fire up MTB 03

"Huw Pritchard" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 09 Aug 2003 20:41:35 +0200, bomba did issue forth:

Still ill?

Been ill for the last four weeks. I've got a respiratory infection.
Anything more stressful than a gentle ride to work, and I nearly cough up
a lung. Doctors say there's nowt they can do about it, so I'm just going
to have to sit it out.

Damn.

Huw "Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, vomit" Pritchard

Saw the last night. He reminded me of Renton from Trainspotting.

Andy Chequer

"bomba" wrote in message
...
After the previous success of Jon's 'Learn how to not get lost and catch
hypothermia' lesson earlier in the year, Jon will be continuing in his
role as a warning to other humans, with some further lessons today.

But first, an introduction.

So, I finally had a weekend in Germany. Well that would never do, so I
hit the road before 7 this morning and headed down to La Roche in the
Belgian Ardennes.

I took a new (to me) route covering about 15 miles. Lots of hills and a
mixture of fireroad and singletrack with the gorgeous scenery as usual.
I didn't take many photos, as I've got plenty of pics of the views
across La Roche. However, did take a couple:
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/laroche/11.jpg
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/laroche/12.jpg

It was nice to be back on some big hills and I was feeling good. After
completing the loop, I did a bit of maintenance back at the car and took
a route out that I've done a couple of times before. This route is only
10km long, but is probably the most demanding trail I've ever ridden,
both from a point of exertion and technicalness (is that a word?).
There's no relaxing it's steep up and steep down. Repeat.

Sounds a bit like the route around the Eastern shore of Lake Ullswater,
momentum is you're friend!


I came to the final descent, and this children, is where the lessons
beginneth. Although I've ridden this trail before, a drop to turn
caught me out and I hit it too fast. Recovered, but then both wheels
washed out on the loose rocks. I got the feet out, but I was still
travelling at over 20mph. A mixture of surfing the top tube and the
stem and doing a 'sprint a hobby horse' impression,

I've done that, usually when a chain slips..

I stayed upright.
Yay! Then the pain in my calf kicked in. Hmm, a chainring tattoo with
lots of blood (a visit to the toilet later showed that my calf wasn't
the only part bleeding...).

What no photos?

No problem, thinks I. I have a first aid
kit, I can patch that up. Opened up the kit to find out that it's
actually pretty poor. So children, make sure you have decent stuff in
your first aid kit, or you'll end up with a dressing like this:
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/laroche/13.jpg
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/laroche/14.jpg

Should be pointed out that under the circumstances, I came out pretty
well. Crashing at 20+mph in a rock garden would not have been pretty.

Patched up, I got back on the bike and went to pedal off. Crunch.
Lesson 2. After a crash, make sure your chain isn't wrapped up or it
will bend links all over the place.

Bummer.

Chain sorted out (well, not really), I cruised further down the hill and
after about 200m, psssst. ****ing great, pinch flat with 55psi in the
tyres. No problem, thinks I. I have a spare tube. Go to put in air
and realise there's a hole in it. Lesson 3 kids, always check your
spares, even if they're new.
And, if you haven't used your patch kit in
ages because you haven't had a puncture, then the glue goes dry and is
**** all use. Here endeth lesson 4.

Double Bummer.


Oh, and as I was removing the wheel, I realised that at some point
during the day, I'd snapped the rear axle:
http://www.j-harris.net/bike/misc/brokenaxle1.jpg

Triple bummer.

When it rains, it pours...

So, with flat rear and broken axle, I cruised the couple of km back in
to town putting as little weight on the rear as possible. Got quite a
few looks as I flew down the hill into town, stem-shagging with this
loud flapping noise.

You can get nice and sideways in a speedway stylee riding with a flat rear
tyre though. Note - don't try this with a flat front tyre :-(

Anyway, how to compensate for a bout of crappy luck? Buy 30-odd Belgian
trappist beers: http://www.j-harris.net/bike/misc/beers.jpg

The downside of all of this is that the bike's going to be out of action
for a while. The rear hub's screwed, the rear rim's a bit manky after
being ridden for several km with a flat tyre, the chain's screwed and
I'm not sure I can be bothered to fix it all. I'm looking at a new bike
and I don't want to spend a lot patching this up when the money can go
towards the new bike. Ho hum, I'll mull it over...

You need a Cotic...you need a Cotic....You need a Cotic.....
In the meantime (Grrr....) I've a spare wheel, just bring on over some of
those beers and you can borrow it until you get sorted out...

Steve.