A new dilemma was resolved by a stranger. Yesterday, after leaving Lyon with Blaze fresh from the bike shop she had a hard time when we hit the hills. Acted like the brake was on, but it wasn't. I could barely bike on the flat. Almost in tears. I can't cross the Alps like this. Don't even think I can make Grenoble. But stopped for water, then, although it was only 4 pm, I asked if I could camp. Too tired to continue. And later that night, when Dad came home, I found out he was a machine mechanic! How lucky was I? In the morning he figured out, with much difficulty it was the rear wheel ball bearings that had gone. Off to the bike shop. They didn't have them. He found then in a parts store. Came home and he got her all back together. Yippee! But a stomach bugs that's been annoying me for a week now has me laid up here an extra day. Rest now. Bike tomorrow:)
October 12, 2014
Vizille, France
(Outside Grenoble)
What a vortex! I spent 3 nights with the Poulet family. Every day Blaze was grunting and groaning about leaving. He pulled to the left. His fender ground. Always something. I would be packed to go and he wouldn't want to...and the family invited me to stay. Thursday morning, when yet again after hours the night before and that morning working in his tracking and fender scraping, he was making noises, enough was enough. The family couldn't deal with me any more and the energy changed. I couldn't blame them. I needed to take my bike and my gear and my grinding noise and move on down the road. I was sorry it turned a tad sour at the end with one too many requests for Christophe's help. And I totally understand. They were so wonderful to me, this strange American woman on an even stranger bike. Thank you for everything!!! Food, laughter, assistance, and patience! Such a treat to spend time on your "farm".
So with her butt grinding away intermittently with the rhythm of her tire, I pedaled on down the road. Can I make it to Grenoble 95 kms away with this sound? Many hours of work, remounting fender, analyzing things had not figured it out. It only happened when I was riding. The added weight did something back there. And then just as mysteriously, it stopped. Then it only happened now and then. Keep going. Get to Grenoble.
Then on a long downhill I realized the pulling of the brakes was quite serious. Normally on a trike you need only brake with one hand. It stays straight. But this day if I didn't keep both hands on the brakes, I'd have crashed. Scary. Another problem needing adjustment.
Then, the chain kept dropping off the rear low gear, sometimes just after I got it on. And that damn dereilleur was pressing the tire in the lowest gear, braking the wheel. I DONT NEED ALL THESE ISSUES! I'm not a bike mechanic!! I'm learning, but forget just as quickly. Age is a wonderful thing...not!
So there I am, standing on a hill on the side of the road googling to find out which screw turned which way stops the chain from dropping off largest gear. Ok. Got it. Slight turn of L to right. Nope. Dropped again. A bit more. Of course at first I thought it was H and messed with that for a few times. Dropping chain again and again before I got it all figured out. Arghh! That's better. I can at least keep pedaling now.
Then one time the chain doesn't shift even though the shifter had moved several clicks and I dismount and go look. OMG! It's hung up and severely twisted. Don't break! What's going on back there????
Do you now have a feeling for my misery? Someone on FB suggested I get a bus to Grenoble. I'm in rural France on small one lane back roads. No busses here! The only way out is riding or walking. If rather ride if I can. It's a tad but faster....but only a tad:)
Gotta mention the storm the first night out from the Poulet family's place. I found a sweet spot by the side of the road around 4 pm. And I was tired of issues and ready to quit. And a storm was brewing.
And as always, the rain didn't start until the tent was up. Thank goodness! Yup started raining about 5 pm and didn't stop all night! 12 hours of rain!! And thunder. And lightening! Shook me a bit and I love thunderstorms! My tent held up well and I survived.
Made it to Grenoble yesterday and I had a bike shop all picked out. They guys were standing around when I arrived so I figured they weren't to busy. He was only interested in the dereilleur issue. Not the fact the cables were routed all wrong (thank you, Lyon), or the front end pulled left again, or the fender rubbed, or the brakes pulled. He got him up on the rack, dismounted the dereilleur and using a measuring tool determined that the metal mounting plate was bent. They were trying to straighten it when I said it was new on Lyon and the mechanic there have me the old one. "Get it. We'll put that back on." Ok. Good to carry spares!
Got him back together and on the ground. "All fixed," says he. But what about the brakes? Ok. They readjusted them. I could tell I didn't want to get into rewiring the cables and redoing the tracking. No. Not feeling it with this guy. I'll just adjust it a bit more myself. I know my toe-in alignment is compensating possibly for the incorrect cable routing. One offsetting the other. Hope it doesn't cause too much tire wear. But at least I know how to adjust it and Christophe gave me the right wrench.
So now I'm sitting in a campground at the base of the Alps. Weather forecast is severe T storms this afternoon and tomorrow. I've decided to wait until they've passed before venturing up into the mountains. What's one more day?
Oh, and in Grenoble I saw tent cities of homeless for the first time. I didn't feel comfortable taking pictures. How will the make it through the winter in so little a shelter? Quite large communities right by the main road. Hmmm. My homelessness is so comfortable and there's so difficult.
Livin' the life,
BagLady
Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman
