First 'proper' ride in 20 months.

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byegad

Legendary Member
Location
NE England
So, the day was fine as I rolled down the drive of Byegad Towers this morning.
Having got Lady Byegad to the point where she's OK on her own for a couple of hours I powered Tirpitz (My big grey Kettwiesel, so called because it's German, big and grey.) majestically out onto the local roads.
All was well for nearly 7 miles, when I noticed a wire protruding from the rear cassette's bar end changer. A cable was failing!

An energetic 8 more miles went by as I used the front triple to keep me moving. What was going to be a gentle spin around the estate's villages, to allow the local peasantry the pleasure of seeing me pass-by had turned into a much more 'thorough' workout.

I'll replace the cable tomorrow once I can move without wincing and the air in the stables is a little less blue.
 

kayakerles

Have a nice ride.
Congrats @byegad, on getting back out on your 2 wheels! Glad you didn't have to walk Tirpitz back home! Get that ride fixed and keep on rolling. Enjoy! (But build back up steadily, not to overdo it!)
:dance:
 

Scoosh

Velocouchiste
Moderator
Location
Edinburgh
Always distressing when The Mechanic hasn't done the trike–checks properly. :sad:
At least the local peasantry saw you and Tirpitz and your strong determination not to show The Mechanic's failures to them... Did they wave and bow appropriately ? :whistle:
 

kayakerles

Have a nice ride.
@byegad, and other trikers… Reading about the Kettwiesel and available “accessories” I see you can get a differential for that trike, giving it traction on both rear wheels. Is this a common option, the norm on some, or a relatively new thing? I only see cyclists on trikes in passing, one in particular pre-2020 when I was commuting on my MTB to work. They are totally foreign to me, but they have always looked like they swallow you up, incorporating you into them like the Borg, but in a good way! 🛸 “One with the machine.”
 
OP
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byegad

byegad

Legendary Member
Location
NE England
@byegad, and other trikers… Reading about the Kettwiesel and available “accessories” I see you can get a differential for that trike, giving it traction on both rear wheels. Is this a common option, the norm on some, or a relatively new thing? I only see cyclists on trikes in passing, one in particular pre-2020 when I was commuting on my MTB to work. They are totally foreign to me, but they have always looked like they swallow you up, incorporating you into them like the Borg, but in a good way! 🛸 “One with the machine.”
Well I think here in the UK they all come with the diff' fitted, but back in 2008, when I bought Tirpitz, it was an option. Highly recommended for off road use I knew I was only going to use the roads so didn't bother. A couple of times in the intervening years I've had front wheel hop, where it tries to move left on each power stroke and succeeds to the point where I have to stop!

Changing to an MTB triple with 22-34-48 rather than the old 26-39-52 solved it as I can twiddle up those hills rather than mashing the pedals in a higher gear.
 
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byegad

byegad

Legendary Member
Location
NE England
Yesterday I moved the grooms and horses out of the stables and replaced the offending gear cable. It had just 2 strands still intact, so a near thing, as a failure would have resulted in my not managing the hill back into the village.
If you're fit walking up hill with a Kett' is easy you pick up the front wheel and walk.
If like me you need a stick to walk it can be a hard work!
 

Scoosh

Velocouchiste
Moderator
Location
Edinburgh
A couple of times in the intervening years I've had front wheel hop, where it tries to move left on each power stroke and succeeds to the point where I have to stop!
Ah – the dangers of having such strong, muscly legs ! :notworthy:
If you're fit walking up hill with a Kett' is easy *you* pick up the front wheel and walk.
If like me you need a stick to walk it can be a hard work!
I know you really mean *have the minions ....*, so surely the stick is to "encourage" said serfs to walk a bit faster/slower, depending on the scenery and if you have finished your :cuppa: ?
 
Mine is also a 2008 model but I got it fitted with a diff… we have some steep hills round here and climbing them on my older one wheel drive Kett proved very challenging. The diff means it climbs hills withngreat ease, in fact I can get up stuff that I couldn’t climb on a bike and the traction is much better than on my tadpole trike. If you push really hard you can get it to lift the front wheel and if the gradient is obliging you can ride that way for some distance. Gives you the traction and lateral stability of a trike without the rolling resistance of three wheels…
 
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byegad

byegad

Legendary Member
Location
NE England
Ah – the dangers of having such strong, muscly legs ! :notworthy:
I know you really mean *have the minions ....*, so surely the stick is to "encourage" said serfs to walk a bit faster/slower, depending on the scenery and if you have finished your :cuppa: ?
Scoosh, you know me so well.
 
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