Three legged bike

It didn't seem that bad on Friday night although I knew something was not right. I had the first warning signs a few weeks earlier but like a lot of things I chose to ignore them. It is possible if I had acted a bit earlier things might have turned out better. But they didn't, now my bike may have ridden it's last.

My bike can only be described as a part of me and not just an extremity like a finger, which if it came to it you could loose, we are talking a big one like an arm or leg so fixing it shot to the top of my list of things to do, first thing Saturday I fired up the computer and consulted the oracle that is Youtube. Everything looks so easy on there. Just take off the pedals replace the crank and bearings then put it all back together in under 3 mins. What Youtube does not show you is the 5 takes and the 30 mins prep before hand. Filled with confidence I got out my tools only to find I did not have the right ones. In my experience when things start out like this they rarely get much better especially when it comes to fixing things. I photographed the broken bit on my phone patting myself on the back for the inginuity I had just shown and set off down the bike shop. They are a very helpful bunch and when I explained the problem using words like round bit on the turning thing they kindly showed an interest and when I showed them the phone picture I think that was the icing on top. Even with the 2 inch x 1 inch phone screen image they had no idea what I was going on about I was going to have to go back and fetch the bike.

The guy in the workshop was performing surgery on another ill bike when I returned. His rubber gloves were covered in grease but the outlook was good on his patient. It only took him a moment to diagnose mine I knew it was coming, maybe it was a hollowness in his eyes "It's terminal". There was nothing that could be done. I tried to offer up a few solutions but he clearly knew what he was talking about and I was just in denial. In a nutshell the bearing and crank were stuck inside the frame as the bit (technical name) that you needed to screw it out had sheared off. I had lost a limb.

I needed a new bike, things are just so much more difficult with a missing limb, things take so much longer and the walk home was no exception. When it comes to used bikes in London anyone will tell you it's a mine filed of dodgy. the last thing I wanted was a stolen bike, it just perpetuates more crime and sooner or later it will be you (which it has been twice). I found a bike I liked the look of and phoned up. The conversation went something like this.
 "Hi I have seen your ad on the gumtree for a bike. is it still available."
"Bike, er yeah, yeah the bike I think I still have one left"
"What kind of condition is it in"
"Well the thing is yeah I am selling them for a mate who is well in to his bikes but lives outside London, but I have had a lot of em and everyone who's been round to me lock up has bought one."
"Are you around today, I might be interested in having a look."
"Well I could probably meet you later tonight at my lock up about 8."
"It would be nice to see it in the daylight, I will have a think about it."
 This was probably perfectly innocent but my spider sense was tingling. The thought of going to the far end of east London to a lock up in the middle nowhere with a guarantee I will be carrying at least a phone and a £100 to buy a bike I could not see did not add up to a good idea. It was not till I spoke to George that things started to look up, he had a bike, knew what he was talking about and I could see it this afternoon.

A cup of tea and a test ride later I had bought a new bike and with cliches blowing through my hair I was riding my new bike with a saddle set far to low causing me to adopt a paper gangster style where your knees are higher than the saddle. But what did I care I had my leg back.