I don't have the car today. I don't really feel safe taking the bike for a ride when darling husband is at work and can't come rescue me if I run into problems. I know I'm not any more trapped at home than I usually am, but it feels worse since it is spring out there and I had been getting some biking in before the failure yesterday. In the mean time.... what do I do?
If I risk taking the bike, I have to face the chance that I will be miles from home with a broken bike and have to push it and the baby trailer all the way home with an unhappy kidlet in the back. Again. It might be fine. I think I fixed the problem. If I'm wrong... the negatives out weigh the positives of getting out of the house.
Gosh, I hope I win the bike from Lovely Bicycle. Yes, I could get a x-mart special for about $150. It's just that after all the problems I had with the last bargain bike causing me hip pain, I'm not in a rush to get another mountain bike type and try to use it for something that frame wasn't designed for. The CCM may be a junker, but she was build to be a city bike. I can tell the difference. It doesn't hurt to ride. It is just frustrating when the old girl shows her age.
If it were just me, I would go. I would be OK with the prospect of having to do road side repairs. With a toddler along, I have to plan my ride based on never being more that 5 minutes from a public toilet (we are potty learning right now). Add to that the possibility of having to spend 20 minutes doing emergency repairs and it just isn't feasible right now. I need to wait until someone can stay with toddler girl and I can go for a test drive.
I was going to pop over to Car Free Family and ask how they deal with potty learning and biking, but I chickened out. How do you ask total strangers about potty learning without sounding like some internet creep?
UPDATE: Took the CCM out for a test ride while Hubby stayed in with toddler girl. It is still non-functional. I couldn't even make it to the property line. The only way I can afford to take it for repairs is if I raid the home repairs account. That money is committed to replacing the windows I already ordered. Bike vs windows that don't leak. It's an obvious choice. I can't put my need for convenient transportation ahead of my family's need for housing. I just wish I had other options.
Hi-
ReplyDeleteCorey K here; I followed the link from Lovely Bicycle.
I am confused about the CCM.
(Typically decent quality bikes, on a par with Schwinn and Raleigh, so I'm told.)
What sort of issues are you seeing? Is this the sort of thing where a few donated parts might make the difference between a junker and something useable?
I have a bike co-op nearby, and I'm not afraid to use it, though mailing stuff from California to Canada can be problematic.
By the way, we run a cast-iron kitchen here, too. You have some nice recipes.
Thanks Corey! That is such a sweet offer. I'm not sure if you can help. This specific CCM mixte was built (I believe) for the hardware chain Canadian Tire. I have done a bit of work on it, but I'm having problems with the bottom bracket. I fixed it up of the winter and the first 5 or 6 rides were AMAZING. Then the bottom bracket seized and that is WAY out of my range of repair abilities. I took it in and the mechanic did his best, but it isn't standard and we can't get parts. It was OK for another couple of rides, but I'm having clonking and other problems again.
ReplyDeleteThere isn't a bike co-op here YET, but I've got a few people watching for parts for me. In the mean time. It's parked and I'm working on coming to terms with being bike free for a while.
Hi Erin, a thought occurs to me:
ReplyDeleteHave you tried to get some help or parts through the Canadian contingent on the Classic & Vintage forum on www.bikeforums.net?
There is one fellow there (his net handle is "Sixtyfiver") who is a CCM fiend, and does a lot of work on city bikes- I believe he either runs a shop or a co-op in Toronto.
Alternately, you could get a universal threadless bottom bracket like that sold on Velo Orange. It's expensive by itself at $60 USD, but if you never need to replace it again, it becomes thrifty indeed. You'd need to get a different crankset(new or used) but could probably reuse your pedals. This would have the advantage of making the old girl quite a bit lighter.
Food for thought. Good luck however you go.
Corey K
Hi Corey
ReplyDeleteI was looking at the parts on VO, but how does that actually work when the cylinder part that is welded to the frame to hold the guts is a unusual size?
Hi Erin,
ReplyDeleteYou'd probably have to check with VO and give them the dimensions of your bottom bracket interior diameter and width. They'd tell you if the expanding bits that make the whole thing work will fit your bottom bracket shell or not. Does your bike tech have these handy?