Incidentals

Nearly got run down by a red sports car at night, the car was without lights.

Derailleurs playing up. Need a new chain but that might not do the job and the whole gear system is knackered. I prefer hub gears. But they are much more expensive. I think I would like hub brakes as well. Easy maintenance bikes. Got my eye on one of the Subway bike models in Halfords, but they cost as much as a secondhand car.

Tightened the stand (prop for holding up the bike) but it sheared off. These cost £15.

Puncture

To try and paint a picture of cycling experiences in Sussex.

Yesterday when it was warm and ideal cycling weather, I was stuck indoors with lots of jobs to do and a puncture. I needed to buy a new mountain bike tyre (£10 in Halfords) and put on a new inner tube. A 20 minute job, but my bike was stranded a mile away.

Today it rained for almost the whole day and it was late before I got out.

The everyday bike is a secondhand Falcon (£50 six months ago) but the transmission is knackered. A new chain may help, but it is the derailleur gears that need replacing. Might as well get a new bike. But which one?

The stand that keeps the bike upright when parked sheared off when I tried to tighten it today. These cost £15, not sure where I bought this from. This is the double pronged one. They don't fit on all bikes.

Flat is too small. Nowhere to put the bikes. Under a tarpaulin in the front garden which is not very good for them. Tarpaulin fixed with large clamps.