Simple Bike Repair-Changing a Tire

This is my sweet ride.
You'll find me most evenings (and some mornings)
tooling around the neighborhood.
We also frequent the bike trails at our local state parks.
We are blessed to be able to ride nearly year-round.
That carefree feeling of freedom it provides is priceless.

On a recent trek around the community,

the front tire went flat when I rode over a stick in the road.

Big K told me there was nothing to fixing it.

It sure is nice to have a handy man around!

He bought a new inner tube and took out a couple of tools to aid in the project.

The replacement size needed can be found on the bike's tires.

First, he took the tire off the frame

by removing the nuts holding it in place using a socket wrench.

This piece of metal was used to extricate the tube from the inside of the tire.

He just worked it all around the rim until it came loose.

The new tube was fed into place, starting with the valve stem.

The tube tucked right into the groove inside the tire.

Once the tube was in place, 
the tire was put back on the rim,
and the tube filled with air using a compressor (or foot pump).
He replaced the tire on the frame and we were ready to ride!



So good to have my wheels back again!

It's actually gonna feel like fall this weekend!
Yahoo!
 Enjoy your weekend, y'all!

The Maple Hil Hop 125

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*



With a cool change in the weather,
and a free weekend,
we decided to visit our favorite state park to date.

Welcome to Highlands Hammock State Park
in Sebring, Florida.
The perfect place for a family bike ride in early spring.

One of the few times we took our bikes off the beaten path,
we were treated to tranquil and fascinating views.

Wanna come along?

The sense of serenity is palpable.
God sure does some amazing work.

I'm proud to be a tree-hugger.

Big K pointed out how the cypress is growing 
right on the handrail.

This is what greeted us at the end of the boardwalk.

Within this lush swampy area,
blooms were to be found.
Unexpected pops of color delighted us.

This is old Florida,
the way it looked when folks first arrived here to settle.
So much to explore.

We hadn't remembered seeing these warnings posted
the last time we were here.
Needless to say, we stayed mostly in the bike lanes on the main road.

We were able to rent a bike for C,
as his is now too small for him.
It prompted him to decide on a new model 
once we returned home.
Win-win!

Nothin' like the freedom of spending a day
doin' something you love.
We are so very blessed.

Check out all of our state park visits under our header.

 What outdoor adventures have you been on lately?
HOP to it! 

  

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

The Maple Hill Hop 31

Welcome to 
The Maple Hill Hop,
where we share what's going on
OUTSIDE our doors.

An unexpected deluge came through last week,
cooling us off with delightful temperatures.
We decided to have one last family picnic
before the onset of the usual summer heat and humidity.

We headed out to a local park in Lake Wales.
One of the things we like best about this area,
is the number of biking trails and parks within a 20-minute drive.
Did you spot the Sand Hill Cranes on the right side of the photo?

 We picked up a rotisserie chicken at Publix for the boys.
I had some leftover rice and black beans and we all ate corn on the cob.
Can I tell you how marvelous it is to be able to eat corn again?
I'm scarfin' it up every chance I get!

And what picnic would be complete without watermelon?
It really hit the spot.

After supper, we headed out onto the trail
for a 2-mile bike ride.

It was pretty gusty,
although with so many trees blocking the winds,
it made for an easy ride.

 We wound our way down to the pier,
where folks fish and just enjoy the view.

The gazebo was recently added.

What a fantastic day to spend time outside.

Knowing that this is probably the last picnic for a while,
we savored every moment.
I hope you have some family fun planned !
Enjoy!

An InLinkz Link-up

Father's Day Ride

To celebrate Father's Day last weekend, 
we took a family bike ride.

We headed back to Lake Kissimmee State Park.

This park is located in Lake Wales,

and takes us about 20 minutes to get there.

With temps expected in the high 80's,

we knew we needed ample shade to enjoy our adventure.

Soaring pine trees greeted us on the long, 

winding road into the park.

There are picnic facilities, a campground, a playground

and a multitude of walking and biking trails.

We enjoy investigating what nature has graced us with.

At the marina, there are canoes available for rent,

as well as plenty of space to launch your own watercraft.

Something we hadn't seen before

was the availability of Segway rentals.

The nature was much more interesting.

This visit was short and sweet,
as the heat of the day was upon us quite early.
Glad we got to spend some time celebrating together
in a very special way.

Happy Summer! 

Thrifty Thursday-Easy Bike Rack

We enjoy going for bike rides as a family.

We have a small pickup truck,

but no bike rack.

We would just lay them on top of each other

with a couple of sheets between them

to keep them from getting scratched up.

Until now.

Big K put on his thinking cap

and repurposed an unused pallet.

The guy's a genius when it comes to stuff like this.

McGyver ain't got a thing on him!

He split the pallet apart and just reorganized the boards.  

A bit of renailing, 

and  

VOILA!

It usually lays flat in the bed of the truck,

but when in use, it is leaned up against the back of the bed.

The two bigger bikes fit in the outside slots

with Lil' Guy's in the middle.

One ratchet strap across the front holds them all in place

as we make our way to our destination.

Ready to ride!!!