Porty Not-So-High

Certainly won't be as high for much longer....

A day to forget on the bike.

Not far from reaching the office in the morning, slow speed, navigating a stupidly narrow road crossing that exemplifies how awful some of Edinburgh's cycle provision is, I feel one of the mudguard stays (which long ago lost its protective little rubber cap) jab into my knee. Suspicions confirmed once into the office, there's a neat scalpel-like 2cm incision. Blood cleaned up, plaster applied.

Leaving the office, only gone about 30 yards, and the chain gives out. Got away at a reasonable time to. The wander to Hermiston Gait to acquire another isn't long. Fitted, but the drivetrain has got worn through the winter, and the chain skips in all but the toughest gear. Singlespeeding it home would be fine but for then catching every bloody red light on the way.

The old Kaff was on the verge of being retired anyway. A Bamboo Bicycle Club self-build kit is on its way for my birthday, and was to replace the Kaff anyway. The frame is rusting from the inside out to start with, but it needs a new rear brake, and now new cassette and possibly chainring. All expense that for the sake of a month or two is not really cost-effective. Not when I've just recently got the bits and bobs to get the old Cross bike back up and running, and I can commute on that till the Bamboo Bike is built.

The Kaff? Plans for it to become a stool....