Sticky Legs

You will remember from a recent post that the forks were stuck down again. After a long trip to Manchester (over three days - graduation ceremony) it's time to sort it out.

It was fairly obvious that the front end was going to come out, so that was all quite straightforward and nothing I haven't done many times before. Remembering that I had dented the front mudguard, that needed to come off too.

Oddly, the wheel spindle was not forthcoming and I started to suspect that one fork leg may be free while the other was stuck. Manoeuvring the mudguard out revealed the wheel cocked over at a strange angle and I realised that the brake side leg was stuck and the other side was free.

I thought that a luggage ratchet strap would do the job, allowing me to compress the free leg and extract the fork spindle. I looped it over the top yoke and down under the lug on the bottom of the fork slider.

This worked nicely and I was able to take the wheel out

Next, I shaped a piece of stout timber such that it would locate on the wheel spindle and tie-wrapped it to the fork leg. A sharp few taps on the end had the fork leg free again, until next time.

Ride like a veteran...

Out on a commuting run yesterday showed me that the fork bushes still have clearance issues. The forks are stuck again:

I rode it half way across Norfolk like that; now I know what the London to Brighton Run feels like; and the speedo is stuck again.

Looks nice in the rain though! Could have been taken 50 years ago, if it weren't for the wheelie bins.

Back in the workshop, my usual approach with the plywood caul, shown here, didn't work:

Unfortunately, it seems to be more firmly stuck this time and a bit more force dented the top of the mudguard:

It'll knock out.

Potty Festival & Vintage Transport

So another sunny weekend in Sheringham brought the annual Potty Festival and the NNR Vintage Transport Festival. Check the pictures - Amelia is there as is Beattie, my Bantam:

First, a few old push bikes:

NNR Volunteer Andrew Dawson brings his collection of Seagull outboard motors along each year, which he is happy to demonstrate in a dustbin full of water.

Nice to see some smaller machines:

A Francis-Barnett:

My Bantam, and in the background one of several local Velos:

A couple of Vincents this year:

And lastly, a view of the 9F, just arrived from Holt, taken from the new footbridge opened this month and paid for by donations.

Now, on the same weekedn as the Vintage Transport Festival is the Potty Festival. For the uninitiated, the Potty Festival is Sheringham's annual Morris Dancing competition.

The Sheringham 'Lobster Potties' were first formed in 1986 as a 'one off' to raise funds for Sheringham Health Centre. Such was their success that they were asked to perform at several events and have gone from strength to strength. 

Using the Lobster Public House as their headquarters, and being considered by some as 'potty', the name Lobster Potties was obvious! They dance the traditional Norfolk morris style and the group has performed in many parts of Europe as well as the U.K. 

In 1994 they started the annual 'Potty' festival with just a few visiting groups, and this has grown over the years, and sides come from all over the U.K. and Europe to take part. This years festival features some twenty teams of varying styles will be in the town delighting hundreds of visitors and residents alike. 

A history of the festival is shown on the Potty's website here.

Her's a few random pictures from the weekend: