I'll always regret the day I joined

(skip to 1:25 in to skip the talky talk)


As I was looking at this flock of bicycles this morning, trying to settle on one, the singlespeed revealed itself to be that One. It's been awhile since I took it out. Cycles, cycles. Some bike or other has been calling me recently.





1stly- it's so light! And responsive! And punishing! And automatic. No thought, just pedal. I like that.

Climbing was well handled. Legs are feeling Good. Ribs are feeling good (little bit of pull; minor not major). With a drop in tyre pressure, downhills were in the bag. Up the hill to dirt (you know that one power line easement I been squawking about? It's a no go- straight down to a Poison Oak filled drainage...oh well, time to try that other one), across, down, up another side, and an extra woods loop for kicks.



This is why oaks are Mighty. Every limb on it has dropped, but here it is Spring and damned if it's not giving it another GO.





At home, this package had arrived:


Good on you, H___.




In addition to some oddball taffy on which my kids are now hooked, and aside from the mummified jumping spider, it contained the repair parts for the shelved B17. The Standard Titanium Tension Shackle and the 60mmTension Pin & Nut Assembly.


Sucks to your carbon fibre rails, kids.




That this saddle is repairable sits well with me. The nut did not sit well in the shackle at first.





So I took the flat file to it...






though it took the rat tail file to really do the necessary.






All flush and moving into position.






The notches sit up under the (riveted on Titanium!) nose. Also, note the mummified jumping spider in the mysterious box which we shall examine another day. Yes, that is the photo.





Threading the Tension Bolt.







Flush. Ready to insert into the (Titanium!) nose cone...








I put another nut on the bolt end, and levered it into position in the nose in order to back out the bolt and begin tensioning the leather.







Done.







Yep. That there is a perfectly repaired (and repairable!) saddle. Put that in your weight weenie and smoke it. Please also note the large, hammered rivets. If you are thinking about a Brooks, I recommend these on whatever version suits your posterior. The small rivets tear through the leather much more readily. True fact.






What else?