My bike is back, and I'm ... puzzled.

[Duck on Wheels]

My bike arrived back today. YAY
So now I've started putting it back together. Only problem is ... last time I did this, I'd taken it apart myself. This time it was packed by a pro. I'm not sure I can work out where everything goes. Oh well. I'll give it a try. If I have any parts left over, I'll put it in the back of the car and head for the LBS for some assistance. They owe me a tune-up anyway. And I'll need to borrow a tool to get the pedals on snug.

[RoadRaven]

So how'd it go, Bikeless?
All back together now?
Or still a jigsaw on your living room floor?

[Lise]

Where had your bike gone? Do you two often travel separately?

[Duck on Wheels]

No, not exactly a jigsaw on the floor. It's pretty much ridable, and only took 15-20 minutes to get that way. There is one plastic bit left that I don't know where fits (looks like a 2-inch stick with little wings at either end), and something wrong with the seat post (maybe that's where the plastic stick goes?). I stopped by the LBS this morning to ask if they'd give it a once over and correct any errors as part of my freeby tune-up. They said yes. So I'll walk it over there tomorrow, since the rain seems to be letting up now. (We even had *snow* Thursday night! Aaaargh!) The bike, meanwhile, has been resting up in California after the Cinderella Classic. What with the predictably unpredictable Wisconsin Spring weather, it's no wonder the bike was in no hurry to get back here. Anyways ... if the rain _does_ let up, then I can ride the bike home from the shop Monday night and start participating in the daily ride thread.

[Trek420]

Bikeless,

Just looked in my trunk, I have your lock (thought I gave it to Chris, guess not) I can ship that to you. I also have the big fat knobby tires since you changed to slicks. Let me know what you want me to do with them, I'm having dinner with our mutal Mom.

Bikeless travels enough (just these last few months Chile, Scotland....is there anywhere she has not been) that I think your next bike has to be a Bike Friday.

[Duck on Wheels]

woops. I will need a lock. Mmm. How about I buy a cheap one here, sell it along with the bike, then take that good one home with me in June? As for the knobby tires ... ebay? Ask if Chris has any mb-folks who'd have a use for them?

Lots of places I haven't been, yet. But I'll be crossing off another in July when I go to South Africa.

[Nanci]

I'm curious to know what the stick with wings is. I can't think of any plastic parts on a bike!

You could buy a pedal wrench- they're nice to have around. Start building up a set of tools...

Nanci

[RoadRaven]

Well done on getting it together, Bikeless

LOL... we (in this house) can't work out what your plastic wings are either.

I think its a gremlin put in by some cheeky sod to make you wonder...

[kiwi girl]

When you said you had a little plastic stick with wings left over the first thing I thought of was a dropout spacer (which is put in the dropouts when transporting a bike with the wheel out so that the forks don't get mashed together). Since your bike was packed by a pro they might have put one in. However if it was put in properly it probably shouldn't have come out of its own accord

If thats what it is then it is good that you have it left over

[Duck on Wheels]

When you said you had a little plastic stick with wings left over the first thing I thought of was a dropout spacer (which is put in the dropouts when transporting a bike with the wheel out so that the forks don't get mashed together). Since your bike was packed by a pro they might have put one in. However if it was put in properly it probably shouldn't have come out of its own accord

If thats what it is then it is good that you have it left over

I think that's it! I think I saw it on the floor after I ripped the bubble wrap off the front fork. So good thing I didn't find anywhere I could squoosh it into. Now I just have to wait for it to stop raining so I can ride the clunker over to the LBS and get it checked out. Oh well. Good weather for catching up on TE tho'. ... oh, and I guess catching up on some work too. I'll get to that. Later.

[Lise]

Bikeless! Chile! Scotland! South Africa! Ahhhhh....I guess I need to get travelling internationally again, as my heart yearns when I imagine you going all those places. What takes you to such diverse locales, if you don't mind telling? And yes, a Bike Friday seems in order! Lise

[Duck on Wheels]

work. conferences. But I've learned my lesson and take a day or two extra each trip to actually see the place. This year was exceptional because I'm off from teaching and have extra travel financing. Been to England twice and Northern Ireland once as well as those more "exotic" (from a Norwegian perspective) places. Next year I'll probably stay closer to home.

[Duck on Wheels]

Today the rain held up long enough for me to walk the bike to the LBS for a checkup on my reassembly job. I told them the bike had been very professionally packed by Chris Robinson, and then very unprofessionally reassembled by me. They laughed. They also said they'd check it over and fix all my mistakes, be they of omission or comission.

The good weather lasted long enough for a stroll around town, then it started to pour again for an hour or so. Long enough that my newspaper, which the delivery guy had optimistically left on the stoop with no plastic wrapper, was soaked through by the time I got home -- literally a washout. Oh well. Probably no good news anyway. But I did want to check the weather forecast. I'm hoping it'll be good enough tomorrow that I can ride the bike home.