FRIDAY May 1, 2021:
Another 24 hours of scouring the World Wide Web for scraps of information about the Greenspeed GT1. I am obsessed by getting hold of one of these trikes and literally riding off into the distance.
This morning while searching, I found a four-hour old listing for a Greenspeed GT trike within my budget. Of course I called "John" in Coffs Harbour immediately. I was so excited to even be this close to a GT and John got this, but unfortunately someone else has first dibs ahead of me, and told the seller he would visit at 4pm this afternoon.
But I remain hopeful and happy even. I've never been this close to living a dream for several years. Since being cast into a low income future and having my dreams of sailing their retirement wrenched out of my financial reach, cycling had become the shining light.
I'm not saying poor me, I'm actually in a lot happier place. Cycling offers fitness, solitude, travel and affordable adventure all within and ecologically sustainable framework. What's not to like? Ores actually a better all round package than sail cruising.
Well, actually I've recently discovered that two-wheeled cycle touring is a pain in my butt .. and wrists. But I've also learned that trikes offer a wholesome solution to those problems, and has a few unbelievable extra benefits that will be fully exposed at a later date.
6pm:
Well guess what? I messaged the Seller in hope and he said the #1 guy never showed. In hindsight I should have queried this; ie. did #1 see the bike and not but it?
So I'm set to become a trike owner within 24 hours. Unblvble ... and its a GT5.
SATURDAY May 2, 2021
I drove, starting at 4.30am and arriving at 10.00am. Unfortunately the Greenspeed GT5 was not what I was expecting;
- totally grotty liked it had been pulled out of a dry creekbed.
- all fastenings were rusty.
- it gads been radically modified with a half a BMX bike fitted to the rearend with non-stock wheel. Again, this was all rusty and looked horrible.
The final nail was yet to be discovered.
The Seller said he had too be elsewhere for 40min. So I said, "that's ok I'll take her for a spin". The agreed and said "just around here", morning towards the street.
The frame was to long for me so I padded my back with a footy guernsey and flipped aboard. She moved nicely and if you never looked too close, was still buyable. Once I'd worked through most puff the gears, found the brakes and so on, I got itchy feet and scored of down the hill. Picture me smiling. I hauled on the disc brakes, happily they worked tho the right side had an audible tic tic. Up along a rolly street about 200m long, this feels nice, even though i was propped awkwardly in position and had to stretch my legs. I ended up rotting for may be a half hour, some of it in heavy traffic. It's true, cats really give trikes a wide berth!
Negotiating the hill back near where i started required the gear next to the granny gear. No worries there! But around then i really question whether i could give this thing a polish, refit the old rear wheel, load my gear and ride confidently over long distances. She looked flogged out.
The Seller tracked me down prior to my arrival, worried I was going to take off, break dpwn or have a prang. But I avoided all those dramas. As i arrived in his yard and dismounted, i flipped her over and noticed to my horror that the folder elbow has been welded shut. That was a deal breaker; "too crappy, too modified" I,spat, and motored home thinking about a
new trike a bit like this.
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