baptism of fire

So things haven't gone that well today. First off came the £560 bill to get through the MOT...I left the garage thinking, oh well, at least I can ride my bike at last. Coming out of the garage the bike felt a bit rough and then the petrol light came on so I pull into the Total garage to fuel up ready to blast around Leeds all day. Get back to my bike and it barely turns over and won't start. I try a few more times but it just gets worse. I'm about a mile from the garage and half a mile from home. I decide to start pushing home and then realise how hard work it is to push a bike uphill in the rain. I ring the garage to see if he can come and charge me up but he says no. He tells me to bump start it. Being a newbie I'm sceptical but as pushing is such hard work I find a quieter side street to have a go. I have about 9 goes but no luck. I then move to a slightly steeper decline side street and have another 10 or so goes and finally crack it. I'm now sweating like I've done 2 marathons back to back and wheezing like the asthmatic that I am. I don't think I was going fast enough for the first 18 tries but at least I know how to bump start now! So anyway, at least I'm now in business and I do about 2 hrs of riding in light rain without any problems.

This is where my second problem starts. If anyone remembers a week ago I was soliciting opinon on maneouvring my bike in my yard, which involves tight turns up and down a couple of steps. I got the bike into the yard fairly easily but then turning it the 180 to lock it up was a total 'mere. I thought this is too hard and too time consuming. I want to try reversing it up to just the first part of the yard and forget putting into the main yard. So I go about getting it out back into the street. First off the back wheel slipped off the ramp and the bike marginally missed slamming into my wall. I probably should have called it quits then but you know what it's like. I then made a slightly careless push and jammed the left wing mirror against the gate post and the brake pedal against the wall. I could see the pedal bending thinking "nooooo I just paid £65 to replace that". I managed to pull the bike back before the pedal snapped, but it's definitely bent. I think it's still useable but no one likes bending brand new parts. So the person who said it sounded like a recipe for disaster - you were right. I'm just parking on the pavement from now on!

[timwilky]

Re bump start.

I live on a hill, neighbour one day can't get his blade to start so he has to push it out of his drive which knackers him, but at least it is now a nice downhill.


Bugger wont start so pushes it back up the hill. he is now dead. Sets off running down the hill pushing bike upto speed, jumps on, misses and he and bike go down. £400 of damage and he is too knackered to pick his bike up and push it home.

He then knocked on my door for help. Numpty.

He learn't a few valuble lessons that day.

1) don't try to bump start when knackered.
2) Tim has an Optimate he could have borrowed
3) If at all possible, try jump starting first.

[Skip]

Not a good introduction into biking! Stick with it - honestly its worth it!

that cheers me up somewhat. I wasn't going to risk the jump on technique. I was pushing whilst sitting on the bike. I can only just do it as although I'm 6'1" I've got quite short legs. Off to buy a new battery now as bump starting is crap!