I followed the bike dropping incident with a whole host of other bike related ball’s ups but two weeks have passed and I’m still here relatively unscathed so I think my biker chick pieces must gradually be falling into place.
4 mile commutes are barely worth getting togged up for but the miles add up slowly and we’ve covered about 160 miles since pick up. I’ve put the grand sum of £19 in the tank so it’s no eco warrior but maybe that will improve with the new extended commute when I’ll hopefully get to spend a greater proportion of my time out of 1st and 2nd gear.
The Bonneville rides very well, I just need to stop letting it down on my slow speed cornering when I manage to turn a solid dependable bike into a wobbly old crock in need of stabilisers.
I’d noticed the rear wheel skittering around a bit on the white lines and man hole covers littering the bus lanes round these parts but after taking advice from Triumph RAT forum, and then waiting a further 10 days while I fathomed out how to inflate bike tyres, I discovered my tyres were flat.
Turns out you can inflate motorbike tyres with bicycle pumps so long as they have the Schrader valve fitting. This news filled me with unexpected joy as I have an unacceptable glut of bike pumps and now I can nip out with my track pump and keep the bike properly inflated without ever having to risk a petrol station, pump related melt down.
It’s a miracle with all my bike related anxieties that Lynn ever agreed to ride out with me but by yesterday lunchtime we had cobbled together enough additional biker garb to remove most of her pre-existing excuses and delaying tactics. We set off on a major expedition to the old allotment in search of leeks and parsnips. It’s was pretty cold and Lynn noticed my wobbly old crock tendencies on the corners but I think the ability to whizz down the bus lanes avoiding horrendous tail backs through Mitcham and Wimbledon may have sold the biker lifestyle to her.
Actually I don’t think she liked the Wimbledon bit very much, I recollect screaming and aggression there as I threatened to scrape her knee caps between two vehicles but the rest was good.
Topics: Motorbike | 2 Comments »
