Sometimes you aren't meant to ride...

Dear Reader,

The plan was pretty simple, do some quick maintenance on my mountainbike, and then head out on the road to knock out a set of intervals.

What could go wrong?

boys are going to help out on this one...

Started out changing my rear tire. The new tire was a little tight, and after getting a blister on my thumb pushing the bead on, I figured things were going well. I used the Stan's injector and run down to the local gas and sip to use their air compressor and get going. I was a bit cocky and things didn't go well, as I blew Stan's Goo  all over the place and me. I throw the tire/wheel back in the car and speed home angrily. I finally get the tire back on the rim, spray soapy water around the tire, and finally get it to seat properly using up my last Co2 cartridges, and a mighty fast floor pumping action.

Okay, that did not go as smoothly as planned, but you know I can still make this work.

On to the drive train. I pull the cassette and quickly realize that the free hub body was broken. Nothing is going easily. So I grab my wife, and the wheel hop into the car and run down to the LBS. Thankfully Roger and Dwayne knock this out for me quickly, and I'm back in business.

It's starting to get, late, but my tire is changed, free hub body, and cassette are now ready to go, just a quick chain change and I can get out for my intervals. I mean this hour job is now going on 2.5 plus two car trips, but I can make it work. I'm frustrated and tired of bikes right now.

I get the old chain off, and measure the new. I start to trim some links off the new chain and my chain-tool breaks in half. "Are you freaking kidding me?" I exclaim. Can I get a break today?

Diane, watching the tour and me in the background, laughs-

I finish up the chain installation and exasperated said, "I hate bikes" hanging my bike back up in the garage and made myself a cup of coffee and sit on the couch next to Diane.

Diane says "I'm guessing you're gonna ride later?"

I did ride later with these guys. Photo OneLegMatt.

I hum-pf  a little bit and pout, pretty much hating bikes for the moment.

Later in the day, we come to find out that exactly the time I was struggling with my quick bike maintenance debacle, our friends Kita and Josh were driving out the exact roads that I was planning on to do my intervals. While they were heading out on this little twisty usually lightly trafficked road, it seems that some local meth heads took off an maddening run and on their way out the side swiped a couple of cars (including Kita's, and eventually took out another, and launched themselves into a ditch. Kita had sent over this picture of the conclusion of the meth head's mad run.

Thankfully, Kita and Josh were not injured, but there car was sideswiped.

In shock, Diane looked at me and smiled knowingly, "you were not meant to ride this morning."

thanks for reading.

respect
vanderbacon