Beaks, tails, and tubes

It has been a very Spring-like time of late.... rejuvenation of bicycles under varying conditions and the thrill of a third (drum brake on Derek). Also out diary has been very full, happily with some entertaining into the mix. Pictures are to follow above this post which will shed some light on the subject line! And shed some light is an apt turn of phrase, because the tails referred to are those of "Voyager" where I have been struggling to find a satisfactory way to attach a "Cateye" rear light whose fitting needs to be plundered for Derek. I thought I had hit upon it when I superglued to a pound shop fitting and improvised with Bungees, but first after a week or so the glue gave out and then I found the bolt had compromised the fitting also. I had time over the weekend to play with some other options and am hopeful of an ingenious arrangement with the (re-glued with another adhesive) fitting sandwiched and ganging adjacent to the dérailleur. Of course the light is going to get dead mucky and have a hard life, but I rather like the idea of a low hanging light into the mix with my seat post and rear helmet - we'll see how long this one lasts (and if I hear it fall should it become detached!). As for the beaks, well we had guests over the weekend and had deployed our cheese platter (pictured). This was an impulsive gift from my sister, and we were a little surprised when our guest said "OH! You've got a Sarah Rose!" Or something (I may have the name wrong). It turns out these birds atop or incorporated into her designs are a trade mark and that our cheese platter is somehow a celebrity in the chine world! And we never knew we has posh pottery at all! Last and gloomiest are the tubes - no pictures but suffice to say I somehow contrived to have two punctures on Friday, to blow out a valve on Saturday, and on Sunday afternoon in the process of "repairing" managed to explode one tube, fit another with a slow which had to be removed, attempt fitting a 26" MTB tube to a 700 35mm tyre (don't bother trying, it is futile!) and finally somehow patch over the two patches with a slow to achieve one good tube, which I shall have to ride direct to the bike shop to get a spare. At least that is (fingers crossed) my entire puncture allowance for the next thousand miles in one weekend. I am aspiring to acquire the new limited edition "London" tyres from Schwalbe which might just make that mileage achievable puncture free, but I have yet to see them in a bike shop... maybe tomorrow?
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