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The creak, creak from previous posts developed into a bit more of a clunk, clunk towards the end of the week so I knew something was up with the bicycle.

Was hard to work out where it was coming from though as it was only sometimes when I was being particularly forceful on the pedals that it occurred.

Anyway – to cut a long story short – the bottom bracket (I don’t know why it gets called that when its actually the bearing that the cranks/pedals/chainset attaches to) was decidedly notchey so the princely sum of £9.95 was shelled out to buy a new one from Edinburgh-Bicycle.

It gave me an excuse to clean the chain and cogs as they were particularly caked in grime.

All nice and clean and smooth now – next on the agenda is a new seatpost as I overtightened the seat clamp and bent/weakened the clamp. New parts are on their way though.

Obviously when I was at the bike shop I had to buy some other stuff – well just one other thing this time – a bicycle rack for the back of the car so we can take the bikes further afield and cycle from there. We will see how it goes.

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Wow!!!!!

What a climax – some answers, but then again lots of new questions – all the way up to the end.

Aaaaaarghhh

3 more series to go according to rumours. When I find out when the next one starts I’ll start my countdown.

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Here’s a link if you don’t know where it is.

[Arran link]

That’s maybe not a phrase you here very often but for most of our anniversary trip to Arran it was fantastic weather.

Couple of showers on the Sunday the 20th but nothing too onerous, followed by a gorgeous sunny Monday!

We stayed at the Auchrannie House Hotel just outside Brodick. Lovely big empty pool/sauna/steam but we also tried their Spa just across the car park which had more of the same except bigger.

Food in the Garden Restaurant at the hotel was fantastic – although a bottle of wine and some champers and a pre-dinner drink meant we were both suffering a bit on the Monday morning. Still, by lunchtime we were fit for a cycle up and round some forestry roads around the top of Brodick Castle. Hard work cycling up most of it and then down hill on very rough single track scraping past bushes. Great fun though.

I fancy ferrying up to the island at some stage and cycling round all 57 miles. Once I’m a bit fitter! Anyone fancy joining me?

Very relaxing weekend other than the exercise bit of course! Ferry there and back was great – only 50mins or so from Ardrossan.

Bought loads of cheese from the Island Cheese Company. Yum!

We’ve obviously got loadsa pictures as always, I’ll get these online when I get a mo.

Cheers,

B + L

My Nike Air trainers have finally reached the end of their life after oh, I dunno, ABOUT 8 YEARS!!!

They were bought in a footlocker in New York in 1999 during a trip to see the first of the final trilogy of Star Wars movies – The Phantom Menace -which is actually the first in the timeline. Does this make sense. If not then come on – you need to watch the movies!

I wonder if Mike’s have lasted as long as I’m sure he bought a different pair at the same time.Anyway – they got tromped around New York that visit, and Orlando visits too I’m sure.

Since then they have had their retirement as my office shoe to put on when I’ve biked/cycled to work.

So RIP Nike Airs – you’ve served me well.

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Hmmmm, still pondering.

Started it up on Sunday afternoon and ran it to keep it from rotting away completely…

Its now positioned slightly differently in the garage to force me into going past it every day – rather than it being tucked away in a corner.

So still thinking about it

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Not been inspired to blog much this month. Was laid up with the cold for a couple of days last week leading up to the bank holiday – typical. So Wednesday/Thursday was spend wandering aimlessly about the house mopping at my snotty nose.

Watched lots of episode of Battlestar Galactica on the laptop on Thursday while sitting in bed. Was really gripping – especially if you watch 7 episodes in a row…

By now I’ve watched the first 14 of series 2. Well worth a view if you like decent sci-fi.

Was Lorraine’s birthday sometime prior to the weekend so managed to drag ourselves to Scone Palace [thats pronounced scoon by the way] for a picnic (white peacock photo to follow), then Aberfoyle to the garden centre there, and finally back to the Dominion in Edinburgh for the comfy sofa seats and Spiderman 3.

Lorraine couldn’t avoid catching my cold so she started to feel a bit crap by the end of the weekend.

Monday holiday we eventually found a paving suppliers in Falkirk after driving up and down the same road about 5 times. Google Maps let us down there.

Back to the grind on Tuesday…

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