Retro Grouch 

Mrs. Grouch and I had our 10 year old triplett grandsons spend last night with us. This morning, two of the boys had a basketball game so the third grandson chose to work with me in my bike shop. We installed a new set of breaks on my old beater bike.

It was neat! I actually let the grandson do most of the work. I got to be the one to teach him to always start bolts with just your fingers, then use two different allen wrenches (ball end and regular) to spin the bolts down. Finally, he used a 1/4 drive torque wrench to be sure he got the tightness right.

He has a good eye for detail. The washer on one of the bolts was bound at an angle so he showed it to me before trying to install the bolt. He also asked about cable ends and was interested in that I soldered the cut cable ends insted of using crimps. He wanted to know exactly what solder was and if it was hot or cold.

My brake levers didn't come in when they were supposed to so I paid extra to have them overnighted by Friday. Otherwise, we wouldn't have very much that we could do together. The shipping cost almost as much as the levers but it was well worth it.

Lucillle

That time is a wonderful gift to kids. Plus, whenever he decides to be serious about biking, he will already have a good knowledge base.
Two sets of triplets, you are blessed

stapfam

My 2 year old GD loves walking round the garden with Grumpy (Me). We do things in the garden and I show her things. Nanny just takes her out in the garden. Today for example she fed the chickens and collected the eggs.




We were going to have scrambled eggs for supper tonight as we had a little accident with the collection but Nanny had a brilliant idea and some home baking took place again.



Unfortunately 2 would not fit on the plate so I suggested that we have a taster. Me and Ferne love doing things together- Especially eating the leftovers.

Retro Grouch 

Some gifts work both ways.

NOS88

Nicely said!

qcpmsame 

This is why I returned to MX racing so my son and I spent a lot of time working in the garage and at the track. Now I have to get him graduated from Baptist College of Florida so I can get him back on a bicycle before his next mission. Great post Grouch, good times and good memories are made this way.

Great reply Stapfam, she is so cute and what a great time for ya'll.

Bill

Bare Feet

OK guys, between Grouch's story and stap's pictures I'm all choked up here. Love is Priceless, yes!!

stapfam

Someone once said that if they knew how great granchildren were- they would have had them first.

I have to agree.

Jose Mandez

Excellent post, Retro Grouch. Brings back wonderful memories for me from the last few years. Back in my Native Hoosier-land, I volunteered at a local preschool for homeless youth. The preschool had an arsenal of used bicycles that the children could use during their gym hour, most of which were in a potentially deleterious state of repair. I can remember sitting there on the side of the gym airing up a tire, raising a seat, alligning a set of handlebars or adjusting some training wheels, and having the children gathered around me, watching my work with interest and asking questions as I showed them how to use an air pump or a wrench. I think that I got more joy out of working on those little machines with the 12" wheels for those kids than I ever did from working on any of my own rigs.

Retro Grouch 

That's the kind of work that I can't do anymore. The bending and stooping makes my back hurt too much and I get short of breath.

A few years ago we bought Redline coaster brake bikes for the tripletts. I used to go over to their house to do maintenance, but I can't really do that anymore so my daughter brings the bikes over to my house for me to work on. I think that in the future I'm going to ask her to bring a boy of her choice over with the bikes and we'll service them together.

Dan Burkhart 

The older of my two grandsons shows a little interest in what makes bikes work, so I think I may have some wrenching good times with him in the future. He's 6 now, so it might be a good time to start getting hands dirty.
When he gets a little older, I'll let him help me build up a bike for him.

cranky old dude

I knew my Grandfather for 25 years. The most vivid memory I have is of the day we rode downtown on the City Bus, 52 years ago. We had lunch at the Woolworths Lunch counter, I can still taste the Coke in my mind. He bought me a Magnet in the toy department and we played with it all afternoon. He taught me all about the magnetic poles and even demonstrated how they worked with some metal filings and paper.

He gave me one of the few carefree, innocent, happy days that I had as a child. Every time I taste a Soda Fountain Coke I remember that day.

Retro Grouch 

Dan Burkhart 

You never know which experience is the one they will carry thier whole lives. I have similar memories, not only with my grandfather, but also with aunts and uncles.

k7baixo

Great story - I lost my grandfather 25 years ago this week. There are very few days that go by w/o my thinking of him. He was one of 14 kids of which 12 made it to adulthood. They never had a lot of money - married during the depression, four kids, etc. He was a carpenter working on TVA dams, owned a store, a "rolling store" and worked at a lumber yard.

His worst days was when a tornado destroyed our town - 95% of the businesses and 65% of the homes. A church that he built was torn apart and several people died. It didn't matter that it was one of the strongest tornadoes ever recorded - he felt responsible.

He had a nice workshop that we used extensively - my father built bookcases, a tent-trailer, my desk, etc - and his father was never too far away to offer advice. He was a good man.