Two Wheel Blogs

I learned a new metaphor today. I went for a ride with Joe and Lynn, and they were looking for a long ride.

We decided to take a few new (to us) roads today. This proved interesting in that we lost track of time and miles. I usually ride with no concept of time or miles, but manage to keep a good feel for each based on my previous experiences with the selected route. If I am on a different route, there is usually someone around with electronics to give me an idea of time and distance once in a while...not today...Joe's electronics stopped working.

We were about 15 miles in when Joe fell way back on a steep climb. No big deal, sometimes he drops back, sometimes he blasts off the front. This time he was way back so I turned to see what was the matter. Apparently his limit screw in the rear was not properly set and he overshot his granny gear properly wedging his chain between the carrier and hub flange...when I say "properly" I mean to say that no "better" wedge job could ever be hoped for without the benefit of power tools.

We learned in a few minutes time that a properly torqued cassette lock ring can be removed with the concerted effort of two multi-tools. Provided that the tools both have flat screwdrivers, a couple guys can engage the splines on opposite sides and turn the flat blades counter clockwise. This action wedges the blades between the lock nut on the axle and the lock ring and will slowly spin the ring off. We needed no chain whip since the chain was wedged and holding the cassette solidly in place. I was utterly shocked at how well this worked for removing and replacing the cassette lock ring. (At home I will stick with the proper tools when possible).

Minutes later we were back up and rolling discussing how bad our bar tape would look if we were running white tape like almost everyone in the Tour is running this year (chain gunk/grease).

We rolled on through several towns and counties and discussed lots of trivial things. The weather was a big topic since it was so incredibly nice today (83 degrees F for the high, slight breeze, and little to no clouds). At some point we noticed that Joe's computer was not working (the chain wedging fiasco apparently dislodged his wheel sensor, so he lost a lot of ride data, and we have no idea how long the route was).

Eventually, Lynn left us to go mow her lawn as Joe and I kept on.

Joe started to explain to me that the roads were his church. I responded with something along the lines of, "yeah, but there are many different religions celebrated here...and frequent holy wars". He agreed but pointed out that it has helped him turn his life in a better direction. His church is somewhat brutal in that you suffer for your sins immediately...a great motivator for staying on the straight and narrow (stay trim and try to eat and drink healthy things).

We reached the point where we had to part ways (to our respective homes) and bid our farewells. It was a good ride and a great day. I hope you too find a way to enjoy this day!