Can Mum have a word?
Howdy folks
Well, I usually leave this to Big Daddy, but the Munchkin and I had such a great day today, I had to tell you about it. We took the bike trailer out (unsupervised!) and spent the afternoon with Lynda and Morgan who live down in Ellerslie. Not a huge deal, I know, but it was pretty big for me to be towing the kid around on the mean streets of Mt Wellie by myself. It pissed down with rain, and I got soaked, but Emily was toastie-pie in her buggy. Especially after I did the covers up properly.... too bad that was AFTER all the rain! But the puddle on the bottom of the buggy cleaned up without too much trouble. I could hear her singing all the way home while I slogged it out on the single-speed Klein up this huge hill; at least one of us was having a good time! 
No pics of this notable event, but this one was so cute I had to put it in. Rick took this during his week as super-dad. Tell you what, it really raised the bar. I feel like I've had to lift my game a bit!
A big shout-out to Greg and Debs, who have set the date of their wedding in December. Might fit into that frock by then.... And Lily and Wozza in the UK, enjoying the long, hot, English summer. Can't wait to see those tennis whites, dahling! And Mumbo, if you read this, we're coming to stay next week if you're home and you'll have us. Emily wants to catch up with Nana and Poppa and see how Poppy's leg is doing. Will call you to confirm. xx oo
Latest from Emily and our Swiss Correspondent
Bruno and the lads called in on their Saturday avo urban ride to borrow the hacksaw-John had fallen off and removing his leg off seemed the easiest option.
While the boys were tending to that task in the garage Emily got to hang with a former professional cow bell polisher.
John was trialling his GT dual suspension single speed MTB. Spot the bling.
You physic majors out their may wonder how it works without a chain tensioner......
Put your thinking caps on then.
Emily and Dad go on an adventure
Today, while mum was making some bread for lunch, Dad and I went for our first "official" spin in the bike trailer.
Dad thought he was pretty special on his Titanium bike - the Merlin. He'd finally got off his chuff and fitted those carbon fibre horse shoes http://www.salsacycles.com/comps_brakes.html
Evidently he spent all morning on the lathe in the garage making two spacers.......
First, we went and fed some ducks who live a pond at the bottom of our street.
Then back on the bike down towards Sylvia Park, along the cycle path towards Great South Road, some exploring around some new business units and then instead of going back down the driveway to retrace our steps - well the photo explains it all nicely. I didn't even spit the dummy ! Big ups dad.
P.S. lunch was yum too. Big ups mum.
Keighley's Klein morphes into a single speed
22.1 pounds; the lightest mountainbike to venture outside the security doors of frontierland.
Of course this bike has a history. Thanks for asking.
5 years ago I was living and working in the USA for a few months. A kiwi friend (Chris Dickson-no, not the yachtie) is holed up in a condo working his butt off for CA and spending all his free time collecting cool bikes etc. off Ebay. This one was a bit small, so a quick call back to Keighley in NZ to measure up her existing Cannondale to compare sizes and away we go.
It came with the one piece Mission Control bar/stem combo but it's a bit long....Thanks to Ebay a shorter stem was aquired with ease.
Chris had a wireless network and laptop in his apartment so surfing the web took on a whole new meaning...and that was 5 years ago.
It has a full complement of 9 speed XTR kit, red Ringle hubs and rims and weighs bugger all even with gears. 
I had to call on the trusty old Myford lathe to assist with the re-allocation of a 4 arm spider off an old pair of '98 XT cranks. Normally the spider has a 42 tooth chainring as part of it. Out with the hacksaw and into the lathe to tidy things up and turn up a pair of parallel faces for the 32 tooth chainring to sit on, depending on the chainline. Nice.
In the future it'll be sporting something a little more stylie for a chain tensioner.
Also, don't be surprised if you spot young madam being carted around in her new Burley trailer behind this sweet ride with Supermum turning the pedals....
Carbon fibre horse shoes
Yep, you heard me right.
Here's me dancing a jig-I am so happy.
Go dad, you rock.
I suspect dad may spirit them away while I am asleep and install them on his singlespeed.
His bike is so cool, but you just wait till he gets those fang dangled Salsa (there's the plug) carbon fibre horse shoes wrapped around those flexy suspension forks and back stays. Wicked.
And here we are getting ready, 1,2,3 and we're off mate - hopefully dad is looking where we are going.........I don't think so but...............
