All cyclists are semtimental about any bike they’ve riden for a while
As both Red Riders and readers of this blog know, Benni retired his Apollo Excel after many years of servic. That Excel went for miles and miles untill it’s frame cracked, fork bearings went, etc. Its safe to say Benni rode it into the ground. And thats exactly what i’ve done to my DiamondBack!
Quite literally. It was at that “just working if you know it’s little tricks” for ages, and i rode it without too many qualms. Almost 4 years of service, well over a thousand miles covered. And while thinking of replacing it it kept working as if to say “i’m fine, no need to be replaced”. And I did say that i’d ride it into the ground before buying a new commuting bike. Then one fateful winters day, i did exactly that.
Literally rode it into the ground. Pulled out of my drive, down the road, thinking it’s bloody freezing, throuhg the lights without a problem. Slotted into the right turn lane, slowed right down for a car, pulled away and round. Aaand rode it into the ground. Black ice is the most obvious explanation, hit it, lost the front end, dropped it. Another explanation is the new front tread i’d purchased and put on the night before, silly cheapy halfords thing. New treads rarley grip that well, and the recently gritted, wet, smooth tarmac proved too slick for it.
Either way, i think i can say with confidence that i’eve written it off. After picking me and the bike up off the busy junction, i started off again, stopped again a few meters on and wrenched the rather buckled deraulier out of the spokes. I then limped all the way to school after bending the deraullier in such a way it just about worked. I got it so sit in 7th, and 2nd / 3rd while the shifter was on 1 / 2. Utilising the front deraullier I got to school, locked up, swore once again, and limped (leg was hurting) into Sixth Form. After explaining to variuous people why my elbow was in such a blackened (tarmac gunk) and bloodied state, i (in a free lesson) went on various bike websites, and calculated that i’d cost close on £100 to fix everything wrong with it. It was only £150 when new, 3 years old, very worn, wouldn’t be worth £50. Not worth fixing then. Not with a very buckled quick-fix-bent-back-to-a-rough-position rear deraullier, worn chain, worn gears back and front, slightly bent brakes, and a slightly wobbly back wheel. And to make matters worse, I limped it up the Alley, along Court Road, and then the front deraullier cable snapped! So i had to plod home with two point 2 gears depneding which way the wind was blowing and how hard i wasn’t pedaling.
Thus, I am getting a new commuting bike!! I’ve looked around a bit. I’m looking to spend £200 or less (but don’t mind going a bit higher) there’s a nice Claud Butler in Upton, but is fixed frame, i’d preferr hardtail. But is a major competitor. Halfords had a few interesting ones. A hybrid/mountian DB, looked alright – had red paint job 
There was a Carrera Vulcan “V Spec” – a Vulcan with V brakes rather than the Disc Spec, with disc brakes. One or two of the Carrera Subways looked interesting. I’m a bit suspiciopus about Carrera, being a Halfords-own make. Carrera is to Appollo like Lexus is to Toyota – a posher version if you will. Still, maybe being better than appollo they might serve well, and i’m only really using it for acommuting.
I’ll be making the decsion tonight and purchasing it tomorrow morning before I go to work. I’ll post tomorrow wiht the result.
Untill the next post
Uncle Austin Wozzer
