Oh Man, I Should Have Stretched Out First

You know that feeling you get in your legs when you've been sitting for a long time, and then you stand up and take a few stiff strides across the restaurant's floor or through a parking lot to get to a bathroom? 

No? Well, then you must not be old. But if you do, then you know what my mind feels like right now. I haven't written anything in months, and now the process is slow and slightly painful. There are all kinds of ways you can get out of shape. Instead of the gym, I need to go to the blog for a mental workout. 

Like taking those first arduous steps, the hardest part of writing for me is simply starting. The ideas swirl around in my head like fall leaves in a strong wind. I can't pin any one down. 

I need to stop complaining and just start typing...

Okay, let's see. What have we been doing?

Charlotte is a drummer in the high school band, and now she's busier than ever. Char has early morning marching band practices, after school band lessons, evening percussion sectionals, and evening jazz band practices. Then there are the home football game performances on Friday nights, and marching band competitions on Saturdays - both at which Daphne and I volunteer to help move the pit on and off the field. Band... it's a family affair. When marching band is done, Char's jazz band practices will move to mornings, she'll have concert band during the school day, and her show choir practices (she drums for a group) will move to the evenings. Sports have seasons. Band runs all year long. 

I'm just glad that she is enjoying herself so much. When I asked, "How was your first marching competition?"

"Fire." was her one-word reply

When we're not driving Char to and from school/band, Daphne enjoys her sewing room and our kitchen. I enjoy my basement and our garage. Here's my latest garage project's before pic:

It's a Mongoose Hilltopper SX from 1997 (I think). Where it's at: I've got two flat tires and the grips are blown" (my apologies to Beck). I'm guessing Goodwill was only asking $15 for this bike because the index shifters weren't working, one pedal's toe clip was broken, the locked bike lock had no combination, and everything else was dirty, oily, or greasy.

That, my friends, can all be fixed.

Besides, it was sporting a bike shop sticker. That means this bike had been in the hands of a professional who was proud enough of their work to put their name on it. My guess is that Wayne Donohue assembled this bicycle sometime before he closed his shop in 2002. He owned and operated his business for 12 years, and I bet he knew his stuff (info provided by Linked In).

I've seen people on YouTube fix shifters like these with a can of WD-40 or B'laster. The idea is that the original factory grease in the shifters has become sticky, and the little pawls that help pull the cable are stuck in place. The old grease needs to be flushed out and new lube needs to be sprayed in.  

I pumped up the tires and then went shopping.

I found this generic-looking can of "Spray Lubricant" at our local Dollar Tree (which now charges $1.25 for everything). I'm impressed with this stuff. I used the thin straw that's taped to the can to shoot lube into the insides of each shifter housing. Then I flicked the shifter levers back and forth until the sticky pawls started catching. Both shifters took about 15 minutes to come back to life.

The tires were still holding air, and the brakes seemed to be okay, so I put on a helmet and took a slow test drive... alright! I had a bicycle that would go, stop, and shift. I could have stopped there and put the bike up for sale for a quick flip. But what's the fun in that?

I removed the toe clips, broken and whole, from the pedals. Then I used Super Glue Mounting Tape (also from the Dollar Tree) to adhere the toe clip's reflector to the "blank" sides of the pedals. That doesn't look too bad, and the mounting tape seems pretty solid.

 

For now I'm using these pedals that I bought for another bike, but didn't use. I think the pedal's blue does an okay job of matching the blue on the shocks and the kickstand.

I was surprised that this chain was not worn out. It was just dry and dirty. The same goes for the derailleurs, the cogs, and the chainrings. Those and the cables were cleaned and lubed after this pic was taken.

After a thorough cleaning and a lengthy tune-up, I added a new bell and new grips. 

Kickstands are pretty handy when you are moving stuff around a crowded garage. The pedals and the kickstand are from Amazon.

"Small Block Eight" reminds me of being a teenager with magazine subscriptions to Hot Rod and Car Craft. These 26x2.1 tires came from China via AliExpress. 

This stem cap, also from AliExpress, reminds me that my favorite holiday is right around the corner.

I think the cap is the rug that really ties the room together. 

A previous owner had a stem extender installed (I bet Mr. Donohue did the installation). That and the fat tires make the Mongoose comfortable to ride. I really enjoy bombing down our hill into our cul-de-sac. 

Speaking of tires... I liked the Small Block Eight tires so much I ordered another 26x2.1 pair for another bike, but I forgot to get tubes for those tires. But look what I found at Goodwill last week:

Trust me. This is weird. How often do you go into a thrift store and find exactly what you wanted? These tubes are the right size and have never been used.

Sure, they're older than my teaching career, but I think these tubes will be just fine. If they blow, I'll let you know.

Here's the "finished" bike. I did the math, and it owes me $110. Or $85 if I go back to the o.g. pedals. Either way, that's pretty cheap for how many times the Mongoose has made me smile. This isn't a bicycle that's going to make anyone jealous, but I won't be embarrassed to park it in front of our local brewery. 

Whoops, I almost forgot. I was able to figure out the combination to that bike lock by pulling it taut and turning the wheels at the same time. Sheesh. These locks really aren't very good. Although I suppose they could slow down a thief that didn't have bolt cutters in their pocket.

Okay. I feel better. I feel better just for getting off the couch and mentally working out for a bit. I probably should wait until tomorrow before I hit the "publish" button. I'm sure I made some grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes that I would catch later.

Nah. I'm gonna push it.

Step Up: a Bicycle Tip

Years ago I spotted some vintage bicycles parked out in front of the Irwin's Bike Shop in Johnston. There was a 70's campus green Schwinn Varsity 10-speed for sale for $49.99. The some-what snotty sale tag suggested it might be good for lawn art. I liked the bike, so I bought it anyway.

It looked like this one:

I hosed it off and filled the tires with air once I got it home. I lowered the bike seat so I could get on easily, and took it out on its maiden voyage around the neighborhood. 

I hated it. It wasn't long before my thighs were burning up and my back was throbbing. What was wrong? Riding bikes used to be a lot of fun when I was kid. This sucked. Was I that far out of shape? I pedaled home in disappointment. 

I polished the chrome, waxed the frame, and scrubbed away all the grease, as is my nature. The Varsity sparkled in the sunlight, but rides up and down the street were still miserable. I eventually gave up and sold it on Craigslist. 

Later that year, the UHS library had this book in their discard box:

I didn't need Glen's New Complete Bicycle Manual, but I liked the cover, so I brought the book home. It sat on my book shelf for a year before I actually opened the cover. I was grilling low-and-slow in the back yard, and I brought the book out with me to kill time. 

Page 20 was an epiphany. I actually stood up and shook my head when I read these two captions: 

What? I thought you were supposed to be able to touch the ground when you were sitting on the seat? Nope. That's not the case at all:

No wonder I was so uncomfortable. I didn't know you were supposed to use the pedal as a step to get you up to the saddle. That was a game changer. I was making my legs work so much harder than they needed to. My knees were coming up well above the frame when I pedaled. It wasn't the Schwinn's fault. I was the one who didn't know how to fit the bicycle to my body. Dang.

I passed this information onto Daphne when she was shopping for her World bicycle. When Daphne took a test drive, the bike shop employee applauded the way she mounted the bicycle, "Nice. About one in fifty shoppers know how you do that right." 

I see more people biking as a safe way to exercise, and when I see someone struggling on a bike, I often notice that their saddle looks to be way too low. I want to yell, "Hey! Raise your seat. It will make riding so much easier!" But I don't. Yelling is rude.

Char took her bike out last spring when the weather turned warm. She had grown quite a bit over the winter, but Charlotte wouldn't let me raise seat for her, "Don't Dad, leave it the way it is." I think she was afraid she would lose her balance sitting on a higher seat. I watched her ride down the side walk with her knees almost hitting her chin.

A few days later Char whizzed past our house while I was standing in the front yard. She flashed me a big smile and she yelled, "See. Dad? I can pedal just fine!"

What Charlotte didn't know was that I had been secretly raising her seat 1/4" after each ride. Dads are sneaky like that. 

We took a family bike ride this afternoon, and I noticed that my seat on the Rollfast was too low. I took my own advice, and the ride was much better later when I raised the seat post and the (handlebar) stem. 

The more I learn I find how little I really know - David Baerwald "Good Times"

The Aragon Project: Brake Levers Update

I don't like the look of "suicide" brake levers. They were all the rage when I was a kid. But if you didn't keep your brake cables properly adjusted (and who did?), these would eventually fail to stop your bike. By the time you got to the other lever, it was too late. That's how they got their nickname.

Time to get rid of them.

When you remove the screw for the "suicide" lever, a metal barrel is left exposed.

I cut the barrel off with a hacksaw. (Yes, this is the other brake lever. I forgot to take pictures of the first one.)

I then used some 400 grit sandpaper to smooth out the scratches from the saw blade. I could put the screw back to cover up the hole, but I'm going to put on new brake hoods.

You can imagine what they will look like.

A polished brake lever will look smooth and shiny under its new hood.

It's true, I could have purchased new brake levers. But modifying levers that I already had is more satisfying.

Break's Over. Everybody Back in the Pool!

I have to earn some college credits in order to renew my teaching license by next July. I'm currently taking an online class to earn two hours, and the class is fine. But every time I open my laptop I feel guilty if I'm not doing the coursework.

The blog usually slows down in the summer, but only one post in July is a bit lazy. I think it's time to push through my guilt and get something on A Pocket for Charlotte.

Here's the tiny home that we rented in Keystone, SD. It was two stories tall, but only had 300 square feet.

The step leading upstairs were more like a ladder.

We have watched shows on TV about living in a tiny home, and I was curious what it would be like. If I was only allowed one word to describe the experience I would say, "cramped." It was fun to try for awhile, though.

I had a birthday on July 2nd. We had BBQ for lunch at Smoky D's. 

Char and Daphne made me a meat bouquet using origami and meat sticks. It's like they know me or something.

Then Daphne threw me a surprise birthday party at Flix. She's awesome.

Turning 50 doesn't bother me. Yes, I am getting older, and my body is creakier than it used to be. But I don't feel old, and I still laugh at fart jokes. The only physical evidence of my age is in the mirrors, so I avoid those. Getting older beats the alternative, and I'm just happy to be here with my girls. 

For the Fourth of July, the parents in our neighborhood all chipped in and rented a slip-n-slide for the kids. 

Here's Char finding out that water from the hose can be pretty cold.

We live near a country club, and we can watch their fireworks show from our driveway. 

Mini golf is still a good time.

So is the family programing at Flix. (Pop quiz: The antagonist in Matilda is Principal Truchbull. Can you name the character Pam Ferris played in the third Harry Potter film?)

In 2015 I bought Char a bicycle from the Des Moines Bike Collective. She refused to learn how to ride it.

This year I tried again. Same shop, older girl.

She started coasting with the seat all the way down and the pedals removed from the bike. Then she coasted with her feet on the pedals. We slightly raised the seat a bit each afternoon, and the rest is history. Now she rides around the neighborhood with her friends like a champ.

I'll pass along two quotes from Charlotte. 1) "I'm sorry I didn't believe you when you told me biking is fun. It's the best thing ever!" 2) "Go for a walk with you? Why would I walk when I can sit here [points at her bike seat]  and go anywhere I want?"

Seemingly out of the blue, Char asked if she could start playing softball. We thought, Why not? Daphne found a skills clinic offered by the YMCA, and Char has been practicing for an hour and a half on Saturday mornings. It is very low key, and that's perfect for us. I think she likes everything about the clinic except for me taking pictures of her.

Oh well, her back is turned...

Since she's learning the ropes around the softball field, Char's more interested in watching the Iowa Cubs at Principal Park. It's a bit of work to get to an I Cubs game, but we have so much fun. Daphne and I always ask ourselves, "Why don't be do this more often?"

Another benefit of learning how to play softball is that Charlotte is now open to watching classic movies like The Sandlot, Rookie of the Year, and Little Big League. I said no to The Bench Warmers, though. 

Speaking of bench warmers, I built this bench for Daphne as a surprise gift (see what I did there?). 

The previous owners of our first house left this board under our deck. We've used it several times over the years for various projects, but I thought I could repurpose it. Neither of us grew up on farms, so this is the only wood we have that has a family history.

I still love lunch at Tasty Tacos. Dang.

Question: French Dip Pizza, where have you been my entire life? Answer: "I've been at Truman's waiting for you with my friends Au Jus and Bacon Cheese Burger Pizza."

Char also went bowling with some of her friends. (She didn't make that spare.)

When Maggie stopped eating and drinking last May, we knew we going to lose her. On a Monday we decided we would probably have to put her down before the end of the week. Mags loves riding in the car, and we thought she might enjoy a ride or two during her final days. I wrote a post about that, but I had to revert that to a draft. 

I'm not saying riding in the car fixed her. She might have stopped eating and drinking because she had a stomach bug. But after the second ride, her disposition picked up. She ate some and drank some. By that Friday she was cleaning her plate and looking at me expectantly when I'd walk to the garage. Our vet suggested that maybe the rides give her something to live for.

With the exception of our trip to South Dakota, I have taken Mags for a ride in the car every morning this summer.  Our route takes 35 minutes, and she sits up and is alert for the entire trip.

She takes it easy and hangs out with her friends during the rest of the day.

Since Maggie was too frail to make the trip to St. Louis, I stayed home with her while Charlotte and Daphne spent a few days with Grandpa and Grandma. Daphne sent me some pictures from the City Museum. Char hadn't been on their roof before, and she had a blast.

Clover Kids is the precursor to 4-H, and Char received her diploma in the 4-H building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Clover Kids won't continue at Char's school next year, so we're lucky Charlotte was in the pilot program. She really enjoyed CK, and I think she'll participate in 4-H.

Whew. I feel better. The blog is alive. 

I start jury duty next week, so we'll see what that's like...