Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Anticipation

I’ve always been best at getting things done under a looming deadline. Pressure sharpens my focus. That’s probably why a long list of bike maintenance chores have suddenly seemed important over the past few days. With Moab and Fruita only weeks away, my motivation has spiked.

I spent last Saturday afternoon repacking a rear hub, and installing brake pads and a new rear derailleur—with fresh cable housings, of course—on my trail bike. This came after a week of suddenly experimenting with the pressures and rebound settings on my shocks. I’m also developing a neurotic tendency to stare at the box holding my new front derailleur as I wrestle with the decision of whether to install it now, or stick with the old one that’s working just fine.

Weeklong trips in one of mountain biking’s meccas don’t happen every year, so I always want my bike to fit and work perfectly when I arrive in a place like Moab. That’s one of the reasons I always take my own ride, instead of renting. The weeks of obsessive tweaking as I fine-tune it are just part of the anticipation that makes a biking vacation fun.

Sometime in the next couple of weeks, I’ll throw on some new brake rotors and maybe a new bottom bracket, because now that I’m running out of time, that clicking sound I’ve ignored all summer is suddenly driving me batshit crazy.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Soooo, you are struggling with the decision as to whether you want to replace a derailleur that is working fine?

Tim said...

Yup. It's old and could start acting up any day now.

Plus, I have a shiny new one sitting there on the workbench.

WheelDancer said...

Lust is one of the great sins and as long as that derailleur sits in it's box you will be lusting after it. Repent I say and get it installed!

Unknown said...

You are old and act up all the time, why hasn't Jacque replaced you with a "shiny new one"? Replacing a perfectly good functioning part is a little nuts. It isn't a chain or cassette.

Thorsten said...

I'm thinking about shipping my bike to Hawaii this fall. What is your experiences with shipping bikes. Can I expect the bike to get to Hawaii in one piece?

Cheers

Doug said...

"Batshit crazy"...I need to work that into my conversations more often.

Tim said...

Thorsten, I always take my bike as checked luggage on the airline, so I've never shipped it and met it at my destination. I know others who have done so successfully. The key is to box it so that it's properly protected, then insure the shipment.

I use a hard plastic bike case. Others prefer a recycled cardboard bike box from a shop. Depending on size, you often have to have it shipped through a shop or other business. FedEx and UPS won't take large boxes from us regular folks.

sean said...

replace it now. an older, but still functioning one will be better to have as a spare than a brand spanking shiny new one.