Out today in The Ashdown Forest, cycling to Broadstone Warren and back, to sort something out for next week's Scout camp. The roads were pretty mobbed with cyclists, due not least to the Ditchling Devil Audax heading thatway --> and the bike leg of a Triathlon heading thatway <---- as I approached Turners Hill.
I spied a bloke on the Audax pushing his bike so asked if he was OK. No he wasn't, his chain was just hanging in there, with a side plate making a bid for freedom. Scratching of head, followed by thoughts of nipping home to get some kit to fix it, thoughts of the nearest bike shop (a good two hour walk), followed by me remembering my multitool in my saddle pack has a partly broken chain tool,. We started having a go at squeezing the link back together, without much luck. Just then another cyclist went past, who asked the same question I did. "No, have you got a chain tool". Yes he did and stopped to help us. Slight flabber-being-gasted moment as I realised our Good Samaritan was in fact the very splendid @Dogtrousers, who not only had a chain tool but a 10 speed quick link. Trying to explain to the initial casualty that we sort of knew each other, as we meet in lycra at midnight at Hyde Park Corner was interesting.
All was soon fixed and I went home to do the lottery.
I spied a bloke on the Audax pushing his bike so asked if he was OK. No he wasn't, his chain was just hanging in there, with a side plate making a bid for freedom. Scratching of head, followed by thoughts of nipping home to get some kit to fix it, thoughts of the nearest bike shop (a good two hour walk), followed by me remembering my multitool in my saddle pack has a partly broken chain tool,. We started having a go at squeezing the link back together, without much luck. Just then another cyclist went past, who asked the same question I did. "No, have you got a chain tool". Yes he did and stopped to help us. Slight flabber-being-gasted moment as I realised our Good Samaritan was in fact the very splendid @Dogtrousers, who not only had a chain tool but a 10 speed quick link. Trying to explain to the initial casualty that we sort of knew each other, as we meet in lycra at midnight at Hyde Park Corner was interesting.
All was soon fixed and I went home to do the lottery.
