Sunday, March 15, 2009

In the beginning




This is my first attempt at a blog. My interests are cycling, photography, travel and reading.





Creating this blog from the online instructions I used was relatively easy although there were a few confusing points. I can see it being a great way to communicate with others of like interests.





If there is one thing I could change it would be the word "blog" itself. While its origin as a contraction of the words "web" and "log" is logical enough, the sound of the word, rhyming with "slob" and "flog" irritates my ears. However, the word is here to stay so I may as well get used to it.






While I love cycling, the downside is having to keep it clean. It is a real downer everytime it rains because the chain and other moving parts pick up so much dirt. If you ignore it the chain will only last a fraction of the life you should get out of it and will not work nearly as well.

To clean the chain properly you need a good degreaser or use kerosene. I personally use a citrus based degreaser. You need to go methodically over every link and then rinse it off. Finally you need to use a lubricant. Any old oil won't do. You need something not too thick designed especilly for bicycles.
Photo created by 00OJasonOoo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/restlessglobetrotter/