Wrench success!

I had an odd mechanical failure over a month ago when the bracket holding my front shifter/derailleur just snapped off. This happened while I was pedaling slowly up a steep incline leaving the parking ramp I use during the day. Somehow the chain caught on the derailleur and the derailleur bracket and even the chain both snapped. I carry a chain tool with me, having been through similar situations before, and used it to remove the broken link. I then tied off the loose derailleur cable and rode home on one chainring, not being able to shift but able to ride reasonably.

It turned out that this was the easy part. I will spare you the details, but I went through a lot of research figuring out what kind of replacement derailleur would: a) fit my bike, b) be a reasonable choice given riding style/price point, and c) be compatible with the bike's thumb shift lever. I mean A LOT of research since I am a newbie to fixing the bike and the world of bike parts is...er...not exactly as well organized as it could be (NAPA auto parts it ain't).

After a few different online parts orders, a failed attempt to revive the old derailleur, a misfire trying to reuse the old shifter cable (note to self: not worth it trying to save the money), and letting a week go by just because I was sick of staring at the bike, I finally got everything put together. Voil-la, I can now shift on the front chainrings! Wee!

The best part of this is I learned a lot about how the bike works, which is probably the best reason to do some of your own repairs. It is time consuming and sometimes frustrating. But, the sense of independence at being able to do my own repairs and the independence of being under my own pedal power while riding is a great combination.

The un-studly winter

I am probably not alone in developing a sort of folklore about past winters and the type of riding conditions each brought. I catch myself discussing the winter of 2009 and how bad the ice was. And, geeze, wasn't '10 beautiful with 5 feet of snow? Over time, I may fall victim to the natural tendency to exaggerate and have some memories harden over time such that I will remeber each year by just one image: the lack of a thaw, the very cold mornings,the sand-dune like drifts and the like.

I am ok with this since, after all, the great thing about biking in the winter is how incredibly different the riding conditions can be. The amount of moisture in the snow, the patterns of freeze and thaw, one week's crusty snow covered by the next's light powder all affect the riding surface and make for a new experience each time I head out.

This year may be the year of the non-winter. In fact, I have been riding for almost a month without my studded tires which have been a life saver in winter's past. There has been bare pavement for weeks and almost a monotony of decent weather. Since there is no prize for pain and suffering, I will take it gladly. But, I will know I have become delusional if I ever catch myself bragging about the winter of 2012.

The (ipod) hazards of winter riding

We recently received a reminder that yes, it is actually winter. A couple of inches of snow fell and I happened to be biking back from work at the tail end of it. It is really beautiful to ride in fresh snow even in the city.

 

I realized by the time I got home that the front pouch of my windbreaker had been unzipped. This is where I keep my iPod and miscellaneous accessories that allow me to adapt to conditions (sunglasses, extra gloves etc). Needless to say, I was thrilled I had the iPod in a case: looked scary, but the snow was safely on the outside!