Weekend (mis)adventures
Aug. 11th, 2008 09:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snousleNot much happening just now, mostly working on stuff. I did make one trip this weekend, out to Guerneville where I crashed the night with Gary. Things were pretty quiet, perhaps since so many people were at Leather/Levi Weekend in Saratoga Springs.
The ride out in the evening was delightful. Despite the dry year, the countryside remains incredibly beautiful, even in August.
On the way back, I was about a mile off the highway and just a few miles from home when there was a loud "thunk" and the bike wobbled a bit. I stopped and discovered that my lower belt guard had dropped off, and had messed up the rear pulley in the process. (Sigh.) I couldn't get anyone on the phone, and of course the dealership was closed until Tuesday, so I had pulled my water bottle out of my bag and was just about to begin the long trudge up the hill when a neighbor came by with a pickup and gave me a ride home. Good timing. Another neighbor, Ron, offered the use of his trailer to pick the bike up, which was great since I didn't want to leave it on the side of the road for very long.
It turned out to be a good bonding experience, though one that left me feeling kind of wimpy and useless. Unlike me, these guys are Super Manly and are excellent at anything involving four wheel drive, straps, and towing. They seem to appreciate the chance to show it off, too. The trailer in particular was hardly larger than the bike itself, and it was necessary to tilt it down and drive the bike up the 30-degree slope of the bed all at once before tipping it back up. Just looking at it scared the SHIT out of me, so Ron did it instead. It wasn't any easier than it looked, but we got the thing on. Not sure how it's going to get off.
Of course, a real biker has to do this sort of thing all the time, but we poseurs with money and (mostly) reliable bikes haven't got a clue.
The whole affair was more than I'd bargained for, but despite my embarrassment at being the Damsel In Distress, it left me feeling very happy to live somewhere with friendly and supportive neighbors. A lot of people who live in rural areas don't know any of theirs, but here we're far enough out that at least some people (especially the guys that don't have day jobs) are eager to help out. Particularly when they can use their trucks and get them gassed up in the process.
The ride out in the evening was delightful. Despite the dry year, the countryside remains incredibly beautiful, even in August.
On the way back, I was about a mile off the highway and just a few miles from home when there was a loud "thunk" and the bike wobbled a bit. I stopped and discovered that my lower belt guard had dropped off, and had messed up the rear pulley in the process. (Sigh.) I couldn't get anyone on the phone, and of course the dealership was closed until Tuesday, so I had pulled my water bottle out of my bag and was just about to begin the long trudge up the hill when a neighbor came by with a pickup and gave me a ride home. Good timing. Another neighbor, Ron, offered the use of his trailer to pick the bike up, which was great since I didn't want to leave it on the side of the road for very long.
It turned out to be a good bonding experience, though one that left me feeling kind of wimpy and useless. Unlike me, these guys are Super Manly and are excellent at anything involving four wheel drive, straps, and towing. They seem to appreciate the chance to show it off, too. The trailer in particular was hardly larger than the bike itself, and it was necessary to tilt it down and drive the bike up the 30-degree slope of the bed all at once before tipping it back up. Just looking at it scared the SHIT out of me, so Ron did it instead. It wasn't any easier than it looked, but we got the thing on. Not sure how it's going to get off.
Of course, a real biker has to do this sort of thing all the time, but we poseurs with money and (mostly) reliable bikes haven't got a clue.
The whole affair was more than I'd bargained for, but despite my embarrassment at being the Damsel In Distress, it left me feeling very happy to live somewhere with friendly and supportive neighbors. A lot of people who live in rural areas don't know any of theirs, but here we're far enough out that at least some people (especially the guys that don't have day jobs) are eager to help out. Particularly when they can use their trucks and get them gassed up in the process.
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no subject
Date: 2008-08-11 05:42 pm (UTC)Good ol boys are generous with towing because they know from first hand experience how much it sucks to be the one towed.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-11 05:59 pm (UTC)For some reason I keep thinking about carstuckgirls.com. That's sorta how I imagined myself yesterday. ;-)
no subject
Date: 2008-08-11 07:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-12 04:38 am (UTC)Loctite audit
Date: 2008-08-12 03:26 pm (UTC)I should've put loctite on the shifter bolt when I replaced it on the side of the road, as I carry a tube in my toolkit. Had I taken a breath and done a more thorough check, I would've noticed the shifter peg had gotten loose at the same time, and I would be on the bike still.
The biggest bucket of loctite you can get is only .2 oz.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-12 08:51 am (UTC)To prevent accidental inference, you stayed with: Big Gary.
Bikerbaer's Gary is: Lil' Gary
The guy who subs for me when I'm at QBT: Medium Gary.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-13 03:17 am (UTC)Boo for broken bike.
Any time frame on repairs?
BTY - you ride hither and yon, that makes you a real biker - yer just not a skilled mechanic.