History repeats itself occasionally. Today’s story is reminiscent of June 15, 2005 in Medicine Hat Alberta. On that occasion Path had a major catastrophe and we wound up carrying him back about 4 miles. Yesterday again we were about 4 miles from home when Path dropped to his knees again. Judy and I were not injured. However, we were about a mile short of our destination, a grocery store. We had the trailer on behind to carry the load of groceries. We turned around, placed the front wheel in the trailer and rigged the front end of the bicycle so it could ride in the trailer beside the wheel. Same as before it took us a little over an hour to walk back to camp.
Analysis of the failure revealed a stress crack in the suspension right at the brake boss. The crack had finally grown large enough to break straight across when I dropped the front wheel off the curb. We were preparing to cross the street at a crosswalk. Path has been a faithful steed for 13,070 miles since our first ride on February 14, 2002.
I am the basket case, however. Today we are struggling with whether or not to rebuild Path or pull out all the stops on constructing Son-of-Path. Here are the competing plans:
1. I have the steel and parts to rebuild the existing suspension arm. It will take me a week or so to complete. The question is; Will Path become as good as new, or are there other stress cracks under the paint getting ready to fail?
2. I could complete the suspension arm that I have been working on for Son-of-Path and modify Path to use this suspension until we are ready to change to the new bicycle.
3. Should we get the Purple People Eater, our Co-Motion upright tandem out of retirement and use that for the next few months while I continue to build Son-of-Path?
4. We could also buy a couple of used mountain bicycles to get around on while construction continues.
5. We could walk a lot.
Judy and I will be debating these options and setting up a plan over the next few hours. You are all invited to make comments. I can’t seem to imagine life without a bicycle.
Meanwhile we are still hanging out in the state park in Lake Havasu City. We are ready for the next Bluegrass festival to start forming up on Monday. Actually all that picking and grinning cuts in to my shaping and brazing time. How on earth did I ever find time for forty some hours of work in a week.
So long for now, Gary and Judy (and poor injured Path.)
Personally, the only one I’d rule out completely is #2. Too complicated, too many chances to mess up the new suspension arm.
So is there a finish treatment that would help stress fractures show up on the new bike? For example, the German and Chinese railway systems painted their steam locomotive drive wheels red so that fractures would show up black on bright red.
I would pull out the purple people eater if its close, 2 single bikes just doesn’t sound like you would like it. #5 sounds like a last resort, its good excerise but getting store items isn’t always easy getting them back to camp. It will be interesting what you choose.
Poor Path… You forgot:
6. Keep pushing it around in the bicycle trailer for old times sake!
I agree with Neil, however. Don’t try to combine new and old. You’ll compromise the new design to fit it to the old bike.