Hmmm

So as I come back from Fulham… along the river, all of a sudden my Triride starts to make a grinding/ screeching noise. It goes right through me – that sensation of ‘ you really need to stop because you aren’t doing your machine any good at all by carrying on ‘. Except what can I do? I can’t stop, jump out and have a look. I have no choice but to carry on, slowly. I ask a passer by to have a look at it, because I think the left wheel nut has come loose. It has but it just wobbles on the axle but can’t be tightened. I think the axle itself has snapped, the triride wheel possibly just held on by small supplementary bolts. If I go faster and keep the accelerator pressed down the screeching stops, but going faster probably really isn’t a good idea if I’m right about the axle. Oh Blimey.

I’m meeting my friend, Gorana, who is buying me a pre birthday dinner, in Kew, so I get to the restaurant and obviously explain my predicament. We do have dinner, but obviously I’m very distracted. I text several people that may be able to help me, as well as Colin Flounders that supplied the Tri to me. I get replies, which I appreciate, but no one is going to come to my aid, and let’s face it what can they do, as first and foremost I need to get home and get the Tri off.

Gorana is on a bike, so she kindly offers to cycle behind me on the mile home, and keeping the accelerator down as much as possible I get back, and inside, and she helps get it off. Then I have to make sure my spare front wheel device is charging up so that I have another option going forward.

I’m supposed to be going to Portugal on Monday, with COVID tests booked on Sunday. Everything is now up in the air. I can’t go without my Tri. I wouldn’t even be able to get to the airport. Ok well I would in a wheelchair taxi, but then once in Portugal everything would be much more difficult without my Tri, so to be honest I wouldn’t want to go. Everything would be stressful and everything would be far more complicated for Gina, and that’s not fair on her. Stress is bad for any ‘ relationship’ and I don’t want to upset the one between my main helper and I.

I see Wendy tomorrow for the first time in over a year, and she has very kindly offered to take my Triride to Farnham for me, where Nathan the engineer works. At least then I’ll know quickly what the problem is, and know when I’ll get it back. I’d hoped to spend a few hours with her and catch up, but now I can’t, which is such a shame. Anyway, she’s a star for helping me. Everyone that does, is.

The many things I had planned for the next 10 days are now in doubt/ cancelled or more challenging.
On the upside, had the problem occurred whilst miles from home in Portugal, I’d have been far more properly stuffed than I am here, so I should be grateful, right?

Except I’m not really. I was looking forward to going.
Yet again I’ll almost certainly have to postpone my flights … to when I don’t bloody know.

Anyway, I’ll manage, I’m sure.

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