Sunday, January 29, 2012

My bike is made from Sugar

Every man and his umbrella are taking to myface/twitbook with complaints of rain in Brisbane of late (reminds me of this time last year perhaps?). I personally dislike rain due to the church of single track riding BUT... I don't despise rain like most. I find waking up to a rainy morning very pleasant. I even enjoy driving in the rain with the window slightly down so that I can feel the temperature outside. With more recent (well, more recent then mountain bikes) purchase of a road bike it has allowed me to venture out in the rain on two wheels. 

(I could say without the guilt of riding single track in the wet, but I despise the hoards of uneducated wankers who feel that riding single track in the wet makes them so freakin awesome that they just can't possibly imagine the damage they are infact causing to the hundreds of riders whom actually appreciate the hard work that goes into managing a forest, without even mentioning the way they screw up riding for the next 2 weeks by causing massive drainage issues for all involved meaning even more time off the mountain bike for myself)

So when I chose not to ride for 3 days earlier in the week, none of my LORE's (Lack of Riding Excuses) were to do with the weather... unlike most!

Did you know in Amsterdam, around 63% of the popular ride their bikes more than 3 times a week. Out of those people, only 18% choose NOT to ride on wet days.

By Helen Olney - AmsterDame Blog
Lack of Riding Excuse 1: This week was a big one for me. I have only 1 year of study left and I will then, most probably, never study again. This meant the assignment due Thursday was one of importance and needed to be attended to most nights this week. 

Lack of Riding Excuse 2: Also this week, I started a new role at work. I am now a full-time Health and Physical Education Teacher. While for some this sounds easy, I have taken on a number of other responsibilities at work to co-inside with my masters degree mentioned earlier. I have also never taught PE so although there is basic planning, it's all brand new for me and very time consuming. 

Lack of Riding Excuse 3: Last weekend I hurt my thumb somehow and I was not able to put pressure on it until midweek.

So, Australia Day I was able to sneak out for about an hour and a half  and I was able to miss any real rain. Friday I was also lucky with the weather.

On Saturday however, I found out that I am harder than my bike. I took off on the roadie in pretty good conditions which soon turned to poor conditions as a mountain of water fell from the sky. Sticks and other road grime littered all the roads and the bike paths were covered in slime. I road out to Jindalee and on one of the bike paths I hit a stick with soared into my bike's downtube. One of those sticks you hit and you are watching in the exact moment so it appears you are watching it in slow motion...

I think nothing and continue to ride. Few moments later I notice my bike isn't shifting properly. I excuse this as gunk in the trunk (i.e. shit in the derailer). Turns out the stick that hit the frame damaged both gear cables that are routed underneath the downtube. 

The cables are beginning to unravel and are therefore slowly letting out cable, so in theory, are changing gears further down the cassette. I continue to ride with my bike in 'automatic', by Dutton Park I am in the 39 ring up front and the hardest gear at the back, with a crossed up chain that is rubbing the front derailer so loud it sounds like my bike is eating the road rather than rolling over it.


I made it up Dutton Park and back home to South Bank..... Talk about resistance baby!!!!


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