March 17th rides

[motochick]

Hubby and I headed out for what was to be a long ride...but as we got going, I felt yucky. I ended up cruising along for 31 miles while hubby went on for more. Weather was nice, we rode it the sun and watched it snow in Sedona the whole time. Beautiful.

Brenda

[Melalvai]

Wasn't so much of a ride, as a day.
I got to work dry enough in a rare rainless moment. I wanted to get over to the bike shop as close to 9:00 as I could (when they opened) and I thought I'd get some stuff started in the lab before. Well, I forgot my keys, and spent a lot of that hour chasing down keys so I could get my bike locked up, and as 8:45 as I was getting things started in the lab, a torrential downpour began.

I'd ordered a bunch of parts, and with the help of my friend in the bike shop, my plan was to put them all on the bike. I could pay to have it done...but I really love learning how to do this myself. Since the bike is my main form of transportation, I love feeling like I know all her ins & outs and I can fix her in a pinch. In a car you are at the whim of the traffic and internal combustion sprites...more on that later.

I waited a while, but I was anxious to get to the bike shop. I walked over to the little dorm convenience store to get a poncho. I was soaked before I got there. I shrugged, bought the poncho, got on my bike, I was not any wetter but not any drier either by the time I got the bike shop.

Then a couple hours of putting on new things.

Then, mostly dried out, except my shoes, I headed up to the other college to have lunch with my husband, and back to the lab, all this in light or no rain, on a loaner bike from the shop.

Then, back to the bike shop. Not a minute on my bike but another torrential downpour. Once again, soaked through and through. I'm sure the poncho kept me drier than I would have been otherwise. My shoes though were completely inadequate for the weather. (Today I was wiser in shoe choice.)

It's as if Someone were saying "You know you should be working, not spending your entire day playing with your bike." Every time I headed to the bike shop I got wet. Hm. To top it off, the experiment didn't work out, so I'd have been better off just staying at the bike shop, and not trying to go back and forth all day. (Or, focusing on the lab work, and paying the experts to take care of my bike.)

Another hour or so, and, back on my own bike, only better than before, to the lab, and then home, where I finally got out of those wet shoes. I was supposed to swim with my daughter that evening and let me tell you, that was the last thing I wanted to do. I did it anyway.

Here's the fun part: Now, everything on my bike has been replaced in the last two years. The chainring, shifters, front derailleur, brakes and brake levers were the last original components. Well, the seat post is original (a longer one is on order). The frame, fork, and (stem? headset? thingy that the handlebars goes on?) are original.

When I replace the frame, will she still be Hulk, or will she be a new bike?

The chainring is 3 smaller chains, so my biggest chainring is more like what my middle chainring was. I LOVE the granny gear. I think it is 22 tooth. I can go uphill without breaking a sweat. It might take me a year, but I do not have to breathe hard if I don't want to. Groceries will be a different experience after this.

I'm sure if you've had brakes replaced you've experienced this: I replaced cantilever with V-brakes. The old brakes were pretty well worn, I'd replaced the brake pads a couple years ago, >5000 miles or so. They'd had adjustments but it was definitely time to do something. As you can imagine, I was in the habit of using a lot of force on my brake levers to slow down or stop.

So I took a test ride around the block once everything was put together. The very first stop sign I came to, I nearly flew over the handlebars. Wow, these new brakes were responsive! (My friend in the bike shop said, "I guess I should have warned you." LOL) Even knowing they were so responsive, I just had a heck of a time all the way home. I'd find myself at a sudden and abrupt halt, when I only meant to slow down a little. Today, I finally have the hang of using just the lightest touch. Either that, or I've managed to wear the pads down enough that we get along a little better!

Ok, more about cars breaking down and not knowing what to do: Last night I took my daughter to swim practice in the car, and noticed the battery light flickering on and off. I told my husband about it, and this morning he took her to school, then (without shutting off the engine) went to the auto parts store to get a new battery. The car would not start after he shut it off at the store. He tried to put the new battery in...and the corroded battery cable snapped. We called the mechanic and had it towed. Turns out it is the $$alternater$$. While I hate the expense, these car repairs do make me feel awfully smug about my choice of transportation. I spent less than half as much on my bike yesterday as he spent on the car today.