I was recently riding through the Queen City's
South End in the light rain when I came up behind 2 folks on an old white tandem and a man child born in the nineties rolling urban Single Speed. It was obvious that my power was more than they had combined so I passed them with authority and was never contested. A few meters off the front and not looking back I heard a familiar voice in the rear view that shouted, "Bill!" I responded, "Bernie!" Just then something went wrong with the tandem's drive train and the 2 person bike grounded to a halt. I cut back and hung out with Bernie and his 2 friends while he gave it all in an attempted to undo the pro level chain suck/wrap between the 2 middle rings.
Assessing the problem is the first step in fixing it.
The chain was really jammed in between the center rings.
Any prepared tandem rider carries a Barnett Bicycle Institute approved crescent wrench. When pulling the on the chain as hard as you can is not enough, simply take the rings apart to free the rope.
One step closer.
Time lapsed, we sought shelter from the rain under a Toon awning and Bernie wound up having to break the chain and start from scratch. Apathy was written all over the face of the Single Speed Man Child born in 1995(3 years before I started couriering). Finally the tandem rolled.
The chain was really jammed in between the center rings.
Any prepared tandem rider carries a Barnett Bicycle Institute approved crescent wrench. When pulling the on the chain as hard as you can is not enough, simply take the rings apart to free the rope.
One step closer.
Time lapsed, we sought shelter from the rain under a Toon awning and Bernie wound up having to break the chain and start from scratch. Apathy was written all over the face of the Single Speed Man Child born in 1995(3 years before I started couriering). Finally the tandem rolled.
3 comments:
It looked like a 70's Schwinn Twinn, I've never seen a white one though. Kinda like I've never seen a whith elephant. But I hear they do exist.
I know for a fact those were old Schwinn Wheels with Stermy Archer hubs. Did the hubs have a stripe? Red, Yellow or Blue? The galvanized spokes and the steel hoop that was once a steel pipe pressed hard into a circle gave them away. How I long for the "Old Bike Days" Before the Hip and Cool. When riding was JUST riding and what ya did for fun,not fassion.
I love your blog, my friend. It my firefox toolbar, beside convienent quick-click buttons for BoingBoing, Reddit, and Gizmodo is one that says Fehr. Keep it up, youve got a loyal readers brain to feed!
-g
UB-Lighten up.
Chromatos-Thanks for getting it.
Toonmorrow should be a good one...
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