Due to my absence on Saturday, our first blog entry will cover my ride today down the greenway that included a very frustrating and familiar experience.
My ride was a solo one today to make up for missed time this last weekend when I got the opportunity to ride Red Bug and Magnolia. It started out as every other ride does; fast through the rolling descents to Edenfield. The air was beginning to cool and the sun made me a silhouette to approaching runners.
Looking forward to the small amount of single track past the first Miccosukee crossing, I flew through the hills that precede some decent twisty climbs and descents. Then after only one good downhill run and one some-what short climb, it happened. The oh, so, to familiar sound and feeling of crunching metal in between my spokes and chainstay. I break immediately, reacting surprisingly quickly. I think time slowed down, because I swear it felt like an eternity waiting for the bike to stop so I could look down and see if I had sucked my derailleur into the throws of 40 steel bars spinning at a like 1,000,000 rpm. I had. This time the culprit was still at the scene. A stick slightly shorter than a Bic pen but just as thick. The small piece of wood ripped the derailleur of at its hinge arm. The hangar bent only slightly. Spokes, survived for the most part. So, minimal damage.
Experience has taught me only that I have a long walk ahead of me. That and that I really should bring tools, especially a chain break tool, if I’m going to continue to travel 6-7 miles away from my starting point. Anyhow…at this point in our narrative, I’m actually a little relieved in that I’m not being swarmed buy bird sized mosquitoes who wanted to carry me away, as was the case in my previous broken derailleur experience. I’m about 2 miles further from home but I know I can fix this without a costly trip to the repair shop. Just a new cheap derailleur from ebay.
I’m not sure what bike I will be using this weekend but I am looking forward to riding with the group again. I understand we are going to be meeting an hour earlier due to daylight, or lack thereof . Also, a Grinn trip is tentatively planned for the the end of November or so. We are hoping to camp at Dauset. Oh cool, we can call it the Grinn “Tripp”. I hope everyone will enjoy or blog and consider joining us on a ride one day.
My ride was a solo one today to make up for missed time this last weekend when I got the opportunity to ride Red Bug and Magnolia. It started out as every other ride does; fast through the rolling descents to Edenfield. The air was beginning to cool and the sun made me a silhouette to approaching runners.
Looking forward to the small amount of single track past the first Miccosukee crossing, I flew through the hills that precede some decent twisty climbs and descents. Then after only one good downhill run and one some-what short climb, it happened. The oh, so, to familiar sound and feeling of crunching metal in between my spokes and chainstay. I break immediately, reacting surprisingly quickly. I think time slowed down, because I swear it felt like an eternity waiting for the bike to stop so I could look down and see if I had sucked my derailleur into the throws of 40 steel bars spinning at a like 1,000,000 rpm. I had. This time the culprit was still at the scene. A stick slightly shorter than a Bic pen but just as thick. The small piece of wood ripped the derailleur of at its hinge arm. The hangar bent only slightly. Spokes, survived for the most part. So, minimal damage.
Experience has taught me only that I have a long walk ahead of me. That and that I really should bring tools, especially a chain break tool, if I’m going to continue to travel 6-7 miles away from my starting point. Anyhow…at this point in our narrative, I’m actually a little relieved in that I’m not being swarmed buy bird sized mosquitoes who wanted to carry me away, as was the case in my previous broken derailleur experience. I’m about 2 miles further from home but I know I can fix this without a costly trip to the repair shop. Just a new cheap derailleur from ebay.
I’m not sure what bike I will be using this weekend but I am looking forward to riding with the group again. I understand we are going to be meeting an hour earlier due to daylight, or lack thereof . Also, a Grinn trip is tentatively planned for the the end of November or so. We are hoping to camp at Dauset. Oh cool, we can call it the Grinn “Tripp”. I hope everyone will enjoy or blog and consider joining us on a ride one day.
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