So I had to go to Halfords at Hermiston Gait tonight to buy something for the car. I decided to take the shortcut under the ring road that has always interested me. It's a right of way. It was full of nettles. For reasons that seemed good at the time, I pressed on through the nettles in my shorts. The numerous stings didn't seem that bad at the time. I reached a dead end and retraced my steps back through the nettles. More stings. Then I found the route across the field, which was indistinct to say the least. There was a narrow path beaten through standing corn. I can see no reason why you would want to follow me on this route. I've done the hard work so you don't need to. My calves are still tingling from the stings.
Later, as I turned onto Myreside Road there was a dreadful banging grinding smashing noise from the back wheel. For some reason my chain tensioner had leapt into the back wheel. It's destroyed the tensioner (or maybe it broke first), sheared a spoke and ripped a chunk off the plastic covers on the Alfine hub.I had to walk the bike home. It may be that the ride across the cornfield 6 miles earlier had precipitated this failure.
The only redeeming feature of the push home was that a gentleman passed me southbound as the sole occupant of a Circe Helios so there was an interesting spot to occupy me on the push home. If it was you, I was the chap in the blue top pushing my bike south on the pavement beside you.
Now you've finished enjoying my misfortunes (some self-inflicted) can you advise me on a good chain tensioner? My bike has vertical-ish drop-outs and an Alfine hub, so I need something to keep the chain tight. I'm in the market for a new one...
posts
