So if you have been following my cycling adventures you will know that over eighteen years or more, since I climbed back into the saddle, I have had a few jaunts out and a fare share of misshaps.
The spell of good weather tempted me to dig out the bike from its winter hide away and once again try to fix the loose saddle problem. I had found it was quite difficult riding on a saddle that kept slipping and sliding all over the place and had got well fed up with it. 
So I pulled out my dusty toolkit and had a look. To my surprise the nut that I thought held the saddle in place was only there for some sort of long forgotten bag and dspite my best efforts could never have tightend up the saddle. I was quite please to find I had a socket that fitten the nut and managed to tighten everything back up nicely.
Next job was a quick test run along the canal. Obviously I was not going to commit myself to any major outings along the tow paths without a test run first. So to my relief and surprise, everything went fine and I carried on to Knights Bridge where I decided enough was enough and went back up to the road for a run back through Willenhall to Bilston.
The following Sunday was still fine weather (perhaps a tadge windy) and so I decided to have another ride out. This time feeling alittle more confident I headed up towards Essington to see if Andrew was home. No major holdups or problems and the sun was doing us all proud to the extent that the canal round Wednesfield was like’Chav-on-sea’: full of sunbathing louts including six were attempting to row a damaged ‘pedalo’ along the canal using ‘snow shuvels’.
I got to Andrews safe and sound and found his Mum and Dad were there enjoying the sun. I had a good rest and a cuppa tea before setting off back home. On the way back I found the pedals were wobbling and had a waigue recollection of them comming loose last year some time. I pulled in to examin the damage and found they were so loose I could tighten the nut with my fingers – not a good thing. A quick rummage in the tool kit I always carry and I found the box spanner that fitted and tightened it all back up to get me home where once again the socket set would finish off the job.
Having then got back into the saddle I found I couldn’t peddal at all. The chain had come off! Bit of oily fingers latter and I was back down the road despite the fact I now had the back brake rubbing the wheel which I had somehow buckled slightly. Not a real problem but, a bit anoying as it made the cycling all the harder for the return journey.
Next job on the list – find out how to repair a buckled wheel.