A new lease of life

For the past four weeks or so my trusty old bike has been below par. However, £100 on repairs later, and it’s as if I have a new bike to play with!

I bought it from a friend (not a good start you might think!), but it was heart over head. Both us hail from Edinburgh, and the bike is from the Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative (although it was just a 'shop' when I was last there...). So I was won over by the discreet ‘edinburgh bicycle’ logo on the frame, a nice reminder of my roots, and fairly distinctive down here in Bristol.

I am no mechanic, and my mechanical steed bore seven years of labour with the minimum of maintenance done on her. I have shared some memorable moments with her; most notable perhaps when I had her stolen, and had to steal her back. As time took it’s inevitable toll, the teeth on the front chainset (the cogs where you pedal) had worn down to such an extent that the chain was slipping when I pushed down too hard. Which made it slightly tricky to move off quickly at junctions: push down and - slip - nothing!

A day in a repair shop and I have replaced almost all of the transmission - new chainset, rear cassette, and chain - plus new gear and brake cables. My tires are also inflated to the correct pressure - no more dragging around the roads for me - and the gears change sweeter than I’ve ever known. Now, if only I had the legs and lungs to go with it!