Two Wheel Blogs

As you have probably read, Mark and I did some hill climbing yesterday. While I was not in shape to take my share of the pulling, I did feel really good and time permitting, I would have liked to ride a lot longer. Apparently we scored some TSS points, and the way I slept last night it was evident (I slept later this morning than I have in years).

I finally woke up this morning hoping to hear from G-wiz who talked of riding a century today, but the call never came. Probably for the better, because today it is hot and humid outside. Hot and humid should not bother me, but I guess I need some recovery because I just could not get the enthusiasm needed to go outside.

So I pulled out the rollers and spun on them for a while. I figure this would give me opportunity to build my roller skills/stunts, stay in the air conditioning, and (most of all) follow the TDF coverage at the same time.

It was funny to pull them out too. I have not looked at them in a while. Between the transport and the *numerous* people that have learned to ride on this set of rollers, they have about had it. I think I need to add rollers to my long list of stuff that needs to be replaced.

I have been riding long enough now that a lot of my great stuff is starting to wear out, and it all seems to be crumbling at the same rate. You know what I mean, that stuff that cost a fortune but was worth it because it will last five or more years? Eventually, it wears out and you start to realize just how great it was...and just how expensive it will be to replace.

So there is little to report on in terms of my ride. I played around on the rollers for a while. Feels good to spin easy and work on those handling skills. Some day perhaps there will be a use for my roller stunts (I envision the day I want to gain admittance to an exclusive club and the bouncer learns of my roller-stunt abilities and access is immediately gained....likely).

On the subject of fit and gear, I am happy to report I am once again riding on a Brooks Saddle and loving it. I have not yet gotten the fit dialed though. I hate changing saddles for this reason (it seems to take 15-20 rides to get it right!).

Also, the front of my drive train (chain rings, front der. etc.) was giving me a bit of trouble with chain suck and I think that problem might be behind me now. Apparently the Campy cranks I recently bought came with rings that had shift pins that were a smidgen too aggressive. Mark (from the Depot) did a bit of tuning on the setup and "polished and relieved" some of the extra material from the brand new rings (he was hesitant to use the term "grinding" on a brand new set of Campy cranks). Happy to say they have worked pretty well since his handy work. Next up is to do something I am seeing on a lot of pro bikes to prevent the inside chain drop that I get once in a while.