As my shed is still electricity-less, I wheeled the CCM out into the garden to catch a few more minutes of daylight to work by. Apparently some bright spark has invented something called an e-x-t-e-n-s-i-o-n-c-o-r-d but it all sounds a bit high tech. After much swearing and pacing up and down, it turns out my starter solenoid is shot (the small gold, pot-like thing, ripped out from inside the air-box in the photo - this stage is with half of the spaggetti ripped out of the standard road-bike loom). Sods law, it was the last thing I checked having bought a new battery, stripped down the starter motor and ripped out a few unemployed wires.
Once it was pitch black and holding a torch in my mouth was causing me to dribble to much, I pushed the bike up to the house to work by the back door light. Only problem being it's also right next to the exhaust from the central heating boiler so I had to hold my breath each time it wafted out a big cloud of carbon-monoxide. Come 10 o'clock, and having pruned the dead wood right back - Alan Titchmarsh would be very proud of me, all was in order. I still need a new solenoid but Anthony CoBuilt has a used spare for me - they cost more than £100 new! I might just be ready for Sunday's race at Rye House. BP
What you need is a head torch - mine has seen way more hours use in the shed or at the side of the road than in the great outdoors. Unless you have a ton of strip lights and an inspection lamp you can never see what it is you're actually after.
ReplyDeleteThe way forward is to solar power your shed lights - every one's shed should have at least one solar panel! It is dirt cheap and easier than playing with the mains. Mine have been up and running for two or three years with no problems, but for stuff like looking inside the air box you still need that torch.
commendable effort Ben. I know the feeling of the torch in the mouth.I especially like the characteristic whereby just as you've got that thread to engage or lined up a fiddly screwdriver on a wobbly bolt, the moment of inertia (and murphy's law) dictates that the torch lolls sideways plunging the work area into darkness and handilly illuminating the half bag of cement in the corner accompanied by the tinkle of a washer bouncing off into the unknown. Also has the handy side effect of making it particularly difficult to swear..." hucking astaaar!"
ReplyDeletehope ur done in time m8, will be a good meeting!.
ReplyDelete>something called an
ReplyDelete>e-x-t-e-n-s-i-o-n-c-o-r-d
Hey, I run my whole garage off one of those things, from a wall plug in the laundry. Sure the lights dim when the little compressor runs (and flicker with the washing machine motor), but in the winter I can use the cord as a hand warmer!
Yeah - head torches rock. They look silly, but they rock.
ReplyDeleteBen - Looking forward to tomorrow... will be good to see you out there again!