So the bike’s fixed now. Two-hundred dollars later, my shift lever now shifts nine times, the rear derailleur hanger has been straightened, I’ve got a new rear tire (apparently the Hutchinsons that came with the bike are softer than a meter maid’s backside and not exactly suitable for use on a trainer), a headset / head tube that no longer clanks every time I stand up, and I also splurged on the Deluxe Tune-Up for $59.99.
I know, that’s absolutely thrilling news, although for a total of $197, I was kind of hoping they might clean the bike up a bit but when I brought it home this past Saturday, it actually seemed dirtier than it had been when I dropped it off the previous week. I was also under the impression that $197 would include a few drops of lube for the chain, but thirty minutes after hitting the road, I realized that expectation must have been a tad bit too high considering the squealing coming from the drive train.
Regardless, after a two-week layoff, I’m now back on the bike getting the legs back into shape for . . . the end of the season. Not that I raced enough to say I had an actual “season,” but it’s only a matter of weeks before it’s dark by 5 PM and the only time you get outside to ride is Saturdays and Sundays--granted it’s not raining or snowing--and you do so bundled in a few swaddling layers of polypropylene, neoprene, polyester, nylon, cotton, and wool to keep from freezing to death. Christ, I can’t believe the summer is over already. My brain just isn’t ready for hours upon hours spent on the trainer in the basement. Maybe I’ll buy a power meter for Christmas (notice it’s Christmas and not the holidays) to make myself feel better.
Just maybe.
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