Crunch, Clank, Cough, etc

Both Fuzzy and I have been ill of late.  I’ve had the same cold (I think) three times now and still feel like I’m fighting it off.  There seems to be a lot of nasty bugs around this winter.

And Fuzzy – the poor bike – started, well, it started with the odd clank and crunch that I thought was coming from the bottom bracket (where the axle of the pedals go through the frame), but as time went on:
  1. it seemed to get worse; and 
  2. I worked out it was coming from the rear axle.
Bizarrely, it was worse when I applied the brakes and even made the noise when I was freewheeling (that’s how I worked out it wasn’t the bottom bracket).
Anyway, he’s been to the shop now and they’re replaced a cone and the bearings in the rear axle.  I’ve yet to take him out ‘cos I’ve been driving, because I’ve wanted to rest and fight my bugs off.  But in the next few days I should get a ride and start building up the fitness again after three weeks off.