Its broken...

My wife flew in last night from Singapore and had a lookie at what I thought was my sprained middle finger from the crash. Seeing many sports injuries as a Physio for the national soccer and netball team many moons ago, she immediately shook her head and said my finger is probably fractured after a thorough examination. I was in denial at first but it was indeed crooked and not straight and nice like the other fingers.

So I'm resigned to be one handed for at least 3 weeks but I still can ride. At least with one good hand, I think! Ouch...

The show must go on...

Going out for a bike ride on a cold winter's morning takes a lot of determination. Weather forecast was 4c but somehow, there was a need to be in the outdoors and I was going to join Rod and Ken for the usual Wed ride, no matter what. Had a fun time preparing my bike, tools and snacks the night before while warming up in front of the heater, watching BBC Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson punishing a red Hilux to the North Pole in -20c.

Though I knew it would be freezing, riding out of my house with "smoke" coming out of each breath, numb fingers, ears and nose made me wondered if I made the right decision as I sliced through the cold air at 30km/h. It was 6c even with the sun shining and I was shivering while I waited for my mates to show up.

It was really great to see them as I haven't contacted my mate Ken for a while. These two all weather cyclists were all rugged up, confirming the cold I felt through my bones! Even after several kms on the saddle, I was uncomfortably numb but very much alive and glad to be on the saddle. A most invigorating experience.

We were taking it easy riding side by side, soaking in the beautiful scenery and planning our next long ride to Bunbury in late Oct when a lapse of concentration caused me to side-swapped Ken. In an instant, I lost the handlebar and was flying to the ground. Good thing we were riding slowly but skin vs bike path, it was no contest. I was very grateful to God that Ken was fine. It was a blessing too to ride away with just minor bruises and a sprained finger. Most importantly, the Speed Pro was fine. Ken felt very bad but it my fault really. He joked, "A case of cause and effect." He being the cause of the effect! Another friend cheekily asked me later, "Did you love-the-fall?"

I washed my wounds and we carried on like nothing happened though I was smarting a little. We made it to Point Walter and enjoyed a lovely morning tea and priceless conversation. I learned that Rod had a minor operation on his face and leg just a few days ago, but he was still cycling away happily. I felt very inspired by his fortitude and was glad we were there despite both of us not being 100%.

As they say, the show must go on and indeed, it must when it comes to cycling. As it turned out, it was a most glorious morning well spent.

The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win. Roger Bannister

The War against Thorns

It was unbelievable when my son came home late from school yesterday, pushing his bike with two flat tires. Yes, TWO flat tires. Talk about Murphy’s Law! He had a string of punctures lately no thanks to thorny twigs along the bike path he takes. But getting two punctures in one day must surely be the Hole-in-One for cycling.

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In the last few weeks, we have consumed no less than 6 tubes so much so that the blokes at George’s Bike Shop at Willetton said to me that the number of times I have been at their shop for tubes, I should be paying rent!

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It appears that the thorns are declaring war on us and war calls for serious counter-measures. I was recommended Tioga Thorn resistant tubes and the bike shop guy said, “If this doesn’t do the job, I don’t know what will!”


These tubes are different because they are thick and feel somewhat like pig’s intestines. They are nearly as stiff as a PVC pipe and mounting them on was quite a challenge. However, once fitted, it gives instant peace of mind, if you believe the marketing. Riding it though, the suppleness of the wide 32c tires seem to be compromised.

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We shall see if this new weapon works against those pesky thorns. Stay tune. Otherwise, I have to use secret weapon No 2 (recommended by CW) - Mr Tuffy!

Pedaling for Fettuccini in Bechamel Sauce

Spring is just a couple of weeks away and the sun came out beckoning me to go for a ride. I decided to pop over to Peta and Tommi’s home in Riverton some 10km away to learn the art of making a good French Bechamel (cream) sauce.

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Taking the XO5 along the scenic Shelley Foreshore bike path with its new French Michelin Dynamic tires was sheer joy. I have forgotten how nicely a 700c wheel spins so easily, and the fat and cushy rubbers glided through any irregularities like silk.

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The Bechamel sauce is unbelievably simple to make, equal portions of butter with equal portions of flour heated with milk. The skill however is ensuring it does not come out lumpy and this involves knowing how to use the heat appropriately and whisking consistently. Anyway, I was glad to have my Orb pannier as I could bring back the sauce, together with some food effortlessly. It had enough room too for a 2 litre milk container which I got on my way home from the supermarket.

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The 20km ride somehow got me feeling peckish and I immediately went about making lunch. Fettuccini in Bechamel sauce sprinkled with bacon, Swedish meat balls, Lennard’s chicken sausages and with mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini and lots of cheese made for a satisfying meal. Jem, my ever discerning foodie son, enjoyed it and gave me a 7.5/10 rating. Not bad for a first attempt!

It’s amazing how a bike can provide the much needed motivation to pedal far and long, for good food. Viva la Velo!

That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all this toil – this is the gift of God. Ecc 3:13

Brompton @ Kalbarri

My good friend Rod returned my Brompton tonight after his holiday up north in Kalbarri. It was his first time with a foldy and could not stop singing praises of its remarkable performance. Seems he took it out every morning for a 10km exercise ride along the beautiful coast. One thing he could not get use to was the attention the "little" bike drew.

He's going down south to Albany in Jan and has asked if he could take old Brompy again... I should start a Folding Bike rental business soon. What do you reckon?

Caught tubeless!

What was to be an easy and relaxing Sat morning ride today ended with a big bang literally. I took my son's XO5 out for the usual 12km ride with the aim of evaluating its running condition. Somehow, its hard to expect a teenage kid to maintain his school bike.

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After pumping the under-inflated tires to 70/75psi, the first few km went smoothly enough except I noticed the rear tire had a small lump which gave the bike an irritating ride. Upon reaching Mt Henry Bridge and with the beautiful view of the Perth city skyline in sight, a gunshot suddenly went off. Bang! The loud sound was amplified as I was under a bridge and just as I suspected, it was my rear tire that gave way.

Closer inspection revealed that the lump was caused by a broken tire beat, which in turn caused the tube to burst. All the extremity of the hot and cold weather must have taken its toll. Fine and well if I brought a spare tube, but I was unprepared and tubeless.

This resulted in a long morning walk back home which was pleasant enough, and an offer of help by a passing cyclist brought a smile to my face. I've since replaced the tire with a new Michelin Dynamic 700 x 32c which is a very cushy and comfy hybrid tire.

So much for going out riding and getting caught tubeless...

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Update - I have bought another Dynamic for the front as well and these are really fat 700c tires. At 32, they are still not as wide as the 34 original Ritchie tires. Talk about a plush ride on the XO5!

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http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgestone/1993/pages/35.htm

Mamachari -The perfect CPF (cycle, park & forget) bike

Pic fm mamachari.co.nz

While its always a pleasure to ride and own well-engineered bikes, there are times you simply need basic transport to get you from one point to another and most importantly be theft-proof. To be precise, the bike must not be worth stealing. I've been toying with the idea of getting a Chinese Flying Pigeon, but the double top-tube frame is simply too big for me.

I've rented a Japanese style Mamachari bike years ago in Chiang Rai, Thailand and always rememered how surprisingly well it rode. Smooth, reliable (no gears) and supremely practical with its front basket and centre-stand. It's outstanding user-friendliness just stayed with me till today. Tokyo by Bike spells out why the Mamachari is Japan's most popular bike.

While pottering through a traditional bike shop in Pontian last weekend, I spotted 3 used Japanese Mamachari looking for new owners.

After thinking about it for 2 days, I made a trip to buy one. Its hard to justify another bicycle sometimes and the vehement objections from the fairer sex can get scary. I wanted the model with the 3 speed Nexus IGH but unfortunately, it was a bit faulty and settled for a single speed. Less troublesome I reckon in the long run.

It came with a traditional dynamo front lighting system, build in frame lock with 2 keys, full fenders and rear rack. I added a front basket and changed to new tubes with Schrader valve. The original ones were Dunlop valves which can be very troublesome to pump.

The total damage was only US$68 and I was happy as Larry. There is a shop in NZ selling used Mamachari at US$250 upwards so I can't complain! I have a dentist appointment tomorrow in a HDB heartland and will ride my Mamachari there. My search for my CPF bike is finally over!


Ps 1: Grateful thanks to Ben and Pru for helping me bring back my 9th child all the way from Pontain. You guys are the best.

Ps 2: Pics courtesy of CW.