And Then Depression Set In

[HoosierGiant]

My bike is in the shop for repairs, and life no longer has any meaning.

Okay, it's not quite that bad, but DH is going to get mighty tired of me walking over to his office just so I can stare at the empty spot where it used to sit and sigh loudly. Gosh! This is as bad as having one of my kids gone! (Which certainly did not go over well with the large girl-child who resides here!)

[sundial]

Perhaps you can shop for another bike while yours is getting repaired. You know, it's good to have a *back-up bike*.

Let's see, there are the Electra dutch bikes, 'cross bikes, mtbs...........

[KnottedYet]

You need a second bike.

Two bikes keep eachother company, y'know! it's important for their social well-being.

How 'bout a nice restored mixte single-speed?

[HoosierGiant]

Do have an off-the-rack MTB that I gave to DD when I switched to my road bike. DH has been riding the 9-mile MTB course at Westwood Park near here (considered challenging for this neck of the woods) and is trying to convince me to try it out this week. Personally, I'm not a big fan of trees and rocks that jump into my path and gargantuan hills that suddenly appear out of nowhere -- knowing my luck, I'll end up in the lake. But somethng is better than nothing, right?! And what kind of person would I be if I back down from a challenge, eh?

It's just that I'm soooo in love with my road bike; anything else seems... well... unfaithful!

[sundial]

I bought Jada the Roubaix to keep Silver the Sequoia company.

There are some really neat bikes you can pick up right now. The '08's are here and the older bikes need a good home.

Knotted, I've been perusing the Specialized website. I like the Langster single speed bikes--the Seattle edition.

[silver]

Why don't you tell us all about your bike and the repairs? If you can't ride it, at least you can talk about it!

[Hub]

To quote another cycling chick . . .

"There are a lot of unwanted, unloved bikes out there - go on give a bike a good home."- Python

[HoosierGiant]

Why don't you tell us all about your bike and the repairs? If you can't ride it, at least you can talk about it!

'05 Giant OCR Limited Composite

It was love at first sight! (But don't worry, that wasn't the only reason I made the purchase.) Had some issues early on with skipping gears, hopping in and out of gear, and generally just being cantankerous when it came to shifting. DH rides a Giant OCR C2 (basically the same bike, different geometry) and never had any problems, so I (as well as the guys at the LBS) put it down to inexperience. Had it in the shop a couple of times to address the issue before it was determined that there really was a problem -- TruVative had recalled the chain rings. Parts shipped to Giant for replacement; Giant responds with Shimano Ultegra chain rings and cranks. Oh happy day!

(Rabbit trail -- LBS did not endear themselves to me when they told DH they'd thought about calling to ask if he wanted them to put his TruVative components on my bike and they'd put the Ultegra on his.)

Seemed counter-intuitive that the issues at the rear would be solved by a change up-front, but such was the case. Minor annoyances after that, and I never did really feel that we'd gotten everything "dialed in" quite right, but she's gotten me through several centuries and the 160-mile RAIN Ride (one-day, one-way Ride Across INdiana), so we were still on speaking terms. But, she recently reverted to her quirky behaviors. At first it was a rather subtle shift in attitude, but then it was just downright blatant. Sweet-talking and cajoling were for naught, so I created the following and resorted to threats:

FOR SALE:
MILES OF OPEN ROAD (PLUS ONE BIKE)

size — S frame, 46.5 cm
color — composite/yellow
frame — FormulaOne composite, compact road design
fork — FormulaOne composite, 1 1/8" w/alloy steerer
front derailleur — Shimano Ultegra, triple
rear derailleur — Shimano Ultegra, long cage
shifters — Shimano Ultegra STI, 10 speed
brakes — Tektro 521 AG long reach
brake levers — Shimano Ultegra
cassette — Ultegra 10-speed, 12/25T
chain — Shimano Ultegra 10
cranks — Shimano Ultegra, triple, 30/39/52T
rims — Xero-XSR-3
hubs — Xero-XSR-3
tires — Michelin Dynamic, 700x25cc
handlebar — Salsa Pro Race aluminum, 40cm
stem — Dimension
headset — FSA Orbit ACB, 1 1/8"
seatpost — Giant Composite w/micro adjust, 27.2
saddle — Serfas Terazzo Select
pedals — Shimano PD-M505

$1 (OR BEST OFFER)

Although this bike is light on its wheels, fast through the turns, and generally displays a sunny disposition, it has recently developed a particularly surly attitude and is beginning to show personality traits unbecoming to a performance-level bike. Failing to shift in a timely manner, refusing to brake without muttering under its breath, and chattering while in high gears instead of concentrating on the task at hand are just some of its unflattering behaviors. Most recently, the beast has been responsible for inflicting great pain over the course of 62 excruciatingly long, hilly miles — chortling to itself as it forced its rider to resort to the ignominious first gear to conquer some of the inclines. This is unconscionable behavior and cannot be condoned. If you’re not afraid of a challenge, and if you don’t mind suffering, this could be the bike for you!

Then last Sunday while DH was down in Bloomington riding the Hilly Hundred I was going to console myself with a long ride here at home. "Was going to" being the operative words here. As in heart rate monitor on, helmet on, Road ID on, gloves on, water bottle in place. Thought to self, "Let's run through a couple of shifts to get everything synched correctly." (My Flight Deck had been off the last few rides.) Well, a couple of shifts is all I got -- never even got my bike off the trainer. Shift cable snapped. Ack! Grr! Sob! Where's Enterprise Bike Rental when you need them?!