Cycling Related Odds 'n' Sods

[Regulator]

New Zealand politician cycles to hospital to give birth

This raised a smile.

[Rocky]

They make them tough in NZ. None of this too posh to push stuff.

[Rutabaga]

While I was walking back from the shops today I met a young man looking very flustered and a bit exhausted, carrying what turned out to be a brand-new Apollo mountain bike that he'd picked up from Halfords earlier and on the other side of town. Apparently as he was nervously trying to ride it home he had got a rear-wheel puncture, and something had gone out of adjustment so that his back brake was jammed on and the wheel wouldn't turn, hence not even being able to push the thing.

We were near my house, so I took him home and sorted out the puncture, slackened off the brake a bit, and got the thing moving so he could at least ride it in the middle chainring. I sent him off with a puncture repair kit, and advised him to see if he could return the bike and get something better from the local Giant store instead. Bless him, he was 300 miles from his family (student), his dad had ordered the bike for him online (it cost £100), and he knew next to sweet FA about bikes. I just hope nothing falls off it now that I have tinkered with it though.

[Rocky]

While I was walking back from the shops today I met a young man looking very flustered and a bit exhausted, carrying what turned out to be a brand-new Apollo mountain bike that he'd picked up from Halfords earlier and on the other side of town. Apparently as he was nervously trying to ride it home he had got a rear-wheel puncture, and something had gone out of adjustment so that his back brake was jammed on and the wheel wouldn't turn, hence not even being able to push the thing.

We were near my house, so I took him home and sorted out the puncture, slackened off the brake a bit, and got the thing moving so he could at least ride it in the middle chainring. I sent him off with a puncture repair kit, and advised him to see if he could return the bike and get something better from the local Giant store instead. Bless him, he was 300 miles from his family (student), his dad had ordered the bike for him online (it cost £100), and he knew next to sweet FA about bikes. I just hope nothing falls off it now that I have tinkered with it though.

You are a star and if there is a heaven, you've just booked your place there. It reminds me of No.1 son's first term at Cambridge - only it was me that drove up from Finchley to fix his (second hand) MTB and then buy him a nice meal. Actually it was the latter that cheered his spirits as he hadn't worked out how to cook for himself at that stage.

[Rutabaga]

Thanks Rocky! I was happy to think I helped him, although at the time it was a bit nerve-wracking as he clearly thought I was some kind of bicycle expert which I am very much not. I just wanted to get the wheels turning, and let Halfords deal with the rest of whatever the problem was (which I suspect we all know was that the bike is rubbish).