Well that was a nice walk. Got half way home under Cubbie steam but then a little mis-fire crept in causing power failure, on a blind bend, mid way up a hill. Called Mrs BC to put her on standby, then remembered the emergency ignition setting....gather I'm not supposed to ride for any great distance on that, but it would at least get me up the hills....so thats what I resorted to....freewheeling downhill and running on emergency for the up bits. Worryingly, that option refused to work about half a mile from my door, so as I say, it was a nice walk. But I think I'm really lucky. Having a bike that breaks down does give one time to look around and enjoy the world. T'was a beautiful evening, had been crisp and sunny all day, and as the sun hid over behind Bennachie (go on, Google it) it sent up all kinds of rays of orange, pink and red picking out the big round bales of straw left on the fields. A flock of geese streamed overhead, a stray firework burst up into the sunset. The temperature had dropped quite a lot, but that last bit of pushing certainly made up for it. Nearly got run over by our drug taking / dealing neighbour who expected to have the road to himself after dark. Slung Cubbie in the shed and removed the battery for examination. 5.75v. But...but...but I thought it was flat! So what happened to cause the mis-fire and no lights or horn? Options: either Vic's stator is in a similar condition to mine, which would be a bit of a coincidence and an unfair one, at that, or it was my wiring that did it, or there is something else wrong...the light switch? Connection? Broken or rubbing wire (again)? Oh I don't know. Thing is, this happened running without lights, cos as soon as I experimented with lights, the ammeter neeldle threw itself over to the minus side and stayed there. Without them on, the needle hovered around the -/+ border, which is what it used to do when wearing my stator. Oh, and my *new* digital bicycle speedo has broken (again). How am I supposed to work out my Cubbies Counties mileage if it keeps blimmin' breaking.
Any clues from you clued up electrical type people?
Good news is I'm back online, albeit in a bit of a wierd situation but hopefully here to stay. And all without the help of my ISP, the one thats a sort of Orange colour....
Club meeting tonight, so better get gone to work early so I can be home in time. Oh, by the way, did you see my first couple of aritcles in Old Bike Mart? Big fear factor there, all the readers of OBM are very particular about what they want in their paper, so hope it measures up ok.
PS did another section of concrete yesterday...only one sixth to go now.
PPS just added some pics to make my whinging more bearable...enjoy...
10 comments:
If any of my bikes were as reliable as your Cubbie I would take a gas axe to it and chop it up for causing me the inconvenience, I can't for the life of me understand why anybody would put up with it. Your electrics on the Cubbie are as about as simple as any lecky circuit ever gets. Fix it, do it right and only ever have to do it once.
Borrow / Invest in a crimping tool / terminal kit and some heat shrink, (you can get it from RS components.) and a hot air gun or hot air paint stripper for the heat shrink. Rewire everything and put new terminals on both ends that are crimped properly, protect any connection that is exposed with the heat shrink.
Awww c'mon, cut Cubbie some slack min! This is the only blip we've had (well, if you don't count The Noise) and I think, so far, that its been a very reliable little bike - don't forget, it ain't restored, this is it as I got it. I've got the connections and the crimpy thing, was planning to make a new loom over the winter, in the comfort of my nice new shed....but now another stator has appeared so me thinks I'll have to give that a try before saying bye bye to the rest of the counties for this year.....ooooh you can't keep a GBC down eh.
Very helpful advice Lindsay - I'm sure GBC will be straight onto that one... just as soon as the 48 hour day is introduced. ;-)
Hey Guys, if Cubbies Counties really does have to go on hold for a while, can we just keep up the comments. They're getting really entertaining at last!! Some of them are almost touching on humour. And some of them have what seems to a cook, like sound techy advice.
It is so it is Mrs, any chance of a recipe for mutton broth?
It is so it is Mrs, any chance of a recipe for mutton broth?
there ya go...do Cubbies Kitchen for the winter...or Cubbies Christmas...
I'll be looking forward to wherever this story leads...keep writin'
BigBobW
Absolutely, is that the Scottish, or the Irish version, and do you want some mutton to go with it?
Mrs. B.C.
Call me greedy, I'll have them both, I'm actually still waiting to here about some semi organic lamb that was offered for sale (though it was so long ago it has probably turned into mutton by now)
Ok, all this food talk is making me hungry. and I only come here for the travel stories and the old bikes.
It is mutton, Lindsay. It becomes mutton after about 2 years old, although i usually keep mine a bit longer, depending on the breed. Before that it's hogget and before that spring lamb, which to my mind isn't worth eating.
We are just waiting to fit new wheels to the trailer and then we're in the mutton selling business again. Recipes to follow, although I may put them on my new blog which is for people with an interest in all things rural and food related. So for those who can bear to think about something other than bikes, just follow the links. You'll be more than welcome.
Cuby won't be coming back into the house, last time it atttacked one of the doors and left a big hole. Also, it's full of oily petrolly stuff. Even I have limits!
Mrs.B.C
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