TOPIC: What I did today

Genny got me a New Ride.

so I aired up the 28 inch tires to the recommended 85 PSI on the "V" shaped aluminum rims with 28 off set h/d spokes and took the 700CC hybrid Schwinn Trail-Ways for a spin around the block.

it will coast forever on a couple turns on the pedal and it's 21 gear butterfly shift. it is extremely comfortable, I ways tended to lean to wards the larger narrower rims and tires so it was like riding on glass.

my only problem is they call it a hybrid...where it felt more like an old school bike in allot of ways, and extremely light coming in under the golden 35 pounds.

Meeting the assembler tonight, something about you buy something that says ready to ride "free" assembly, and when you get home you have to open up your tool box to readjust stuff and to fix things. Called the manager of the store and explained to him that I was going to ride it home from the store, with both tires off by 35 pounds, the rear derailleur out of adjustment, brake pads not centered in on both back and front rim area and rubbing on the tire when engaged.

going to meet up with them at 6:30 tonight to explain one bike was one thing, having to go over two is another, Genny going back tonight to look at another one, where I get to meet the assembler, which I plain on putting the fear of god into his tool box.

Some stores will let purly Dangerous bikes leave their doors, I hope all goes well and they fear your wrath... I should get down a Road bike when I get home and go for a ride....

Well meet the assembler, meet the store manager and Genny checked out, a Schwinn model called a Lulu. for a Schwinn they made one rolling POS, to begin with it only has one brake and it weights a ton and it is only has 7 gears. so scratch that one.

I called the store and told them that she would be looking at the Lulu that we saw the night before, which even after what one would refer to as a major "tune up" I had to explain to Genny how the fenders would need some rubber washers and some wedges in the transfer points between the forks or the bike would sound like a steam roller. once getting on it she realized the beach handle bars would need to be replaced and some how another brake would have to magically appear on the front, I looked at the assembler and he looked at me with this light bulb look, and said you where in here last night, and I told him he was corrected, and he then said you did assembly way back didn't you? which I just looked at him and told him again he was correct but years ago. which he told me if I bring in my Trail-Way that he could go over it, which I told him I all ready did and that what I need is a new handle bar neck stem because one of the clamp bolts is completely shot and I can't adjust the handle bar trip out.

the neck post on the trail way btw adjust three different ways from Sunday, so finding a "sweet spot" shouldn't be to hard.

so I looked at the guy and asked if he talked to the store manager and he said he did, which I just said about option "B" and he said he just got that together and would I like to see that which I said yes, which genny just kind of looked at me and I told her I all ready called the store earlier and had a vent session with this guy's boss and I asked them to set up a fresh 28 like mine but the women version, which she just looked at me with that look because before we left I dropped the seat on mine and had her take it for a spin.

out came a cream, with blue pin strip and lettering that was totally "old school" from the ground up like mine, and she looked at the big tires on it and said ol...no way, which I just looked at her and said well you say that now but you did get on mine and it is the same bike....so.

She got on it, which I then notice ever isle was blocked with a convenient shopping cart allowing her to free ride back and forth to get a feel for the bike, which the seat had to be rasied a little for she would have a slight bend in her leg at the bottom of the travel of the pedal, and I told her it looks like a fit to me....

now genny has a 28' trail-Way hybrid, which I found the term "hybrid" for a bike stands for versatile frame and Narrow tire blends speed with utility, to much jargon for me I just look at it and just say "Old School" with modern controls.

but her's is allot prettier than mine by a long shot.

oh..like to add, she bought mine, I bought hers...but hers came with 20% knocked off an all ready 50 bucks off "sale-price", and a gel seat.

can't say I did my work for Free, now can yea?

looks like the 2 of you will be getting some great exercise. ron

well, seeing we are two blocks away from the Erie canal bike path, it took us a while to get it in our heads that if we want to get -away- just hook on the trailer, pack a lunch and go.

will take pictures of the rigs tomorrow if it doesn't snow.

oops N/M

Went for a 3 mile bike ride today on the bike trail, I feel like I got hit by a truck but that is normal for the first ride of the season, here is some pics of our rigs before I modify them.

Now for some artistic picture from the bottom of the canal.

see, really really, it just rocks and water...rocks and water.

omg....rocks, water, rocks..........

yup that is all your going see around here on the canal, better to bike the trail then it is to navigate the water.

looking to dress out the bikes with long board fenders, which will turn these modern "hybrids" into looking like bike grandma and grandpa cruised around on, well they will "look" it but no way would this be what grandpa road back then...

OMG....don't go retro-fitting those bikes..remember the ugly duck.

Canal path has puddle's, a fender on the front helps keep the chain crank clean and a nice half tire fender on the back helps keep one's back side from getting a vertical racing stripe and debris out of the trailer. who ever said grandpa and grandma didn't know what they where doing.

These are built with new technology applied to an old concept.

Did 3 miles our first day, 5 yesterday, last night I still felt like I got hit twice by the same truck, this mourning feels like I got thrown under the bus, then the truck came around and hit me and backed up to do it again...

old bones, tend to get a little rusty over the winter.

Well I learned why you should throw away tire pressure gauges, it now seems our bike tires where only at 30 to 35 psi which they should be set at 60-80 psi the reason why was simply my old "stick" tire gauge wasn't reading right and was off by 40 psi which made us riding around on half filled tires, Now with 80 psi in them the ride is much better and they coast for ever.

But now you wont get that good work out lol. Should make for a much nicer ride.