Some Miscellaneous Stuff

Replaced the cassette on the Safari yesterday. It hadn't reached the point where it was a necessity, but would have needed it with the next chain replacement. Before I set off last August I discussed with the people at FNBS (Bikes and More) the possible need for a lower bottom gear than was provided by the original Shimano Alivio 11-32 since I intended to ride hills far steeper than anything here in north central Florida. Consensus was that the 11-32 would be adequate. It was, but, the lingering gearhead mentality urged me to take the plunge. I chose to invest in a Deore upgrade and a lower gear justifying it as a worthwhile investment. Monday was one of those days where I felt a compulsion to ride. I set-off on one of my usual circuits and made the 50 miles in four mostly leisurely hours. As I approached Micanopy I felt the same urges so typical of longish rides; I wanted some Gatorade! Arrived at Pearl and discovered I'd left my wallet at home. There was no lack of water aboard the bike, so hydration was not an issue and I had several Larabars to take care of carb needs, but sometimes a cold drink feels so damn good! With the near completion of the Archer to 91st Street section of the Archer Braid Trail I saw many more riders on Monday. (Guess that means it's no longer my personal/private ride.) No longer do we have to contend with heavy driver volume on any GCC rides going to or through Archer. Nice! Being able to start at the Tower Road Publix and access the Trail after a short transit passing Barnie's then using the already existing trail on the south side of Archer Road makes the trip to Archer safe and pleasant. May people are uncomfortable with using the Bike Lane west of I-75 on Archer Road, but I ride it often and have never had a serious incident. Of greater concern is the stretch from 34th to I-75 where I use the sidewalk instead of riding in traffic. Drivers wanting to turn onto Archer Road are mostly unaware of walkers and riders whether you use the north or south side of Archer.

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Surely It Was Sabotage

I planned to visit my FNBS (friendly neighborhood bike shop) even though it is pretty much not in my neighborhood anymore. When I was working on that side of town it was a short ride and a reasonable walk away. I could arrange for significant repairs to be done between morning break time and the end of the day and lesser issues resolved between lunch and end-of-day. Now, it’s a nine mile one way ride or a three bus (#75, #1, and #27) mass transit journey, but Bikes and More will remain my FNBS. The reasons are simple; excellent service, an awareness of the needs of commuters and a willingness to take care of bike-lifestyle riders.

My visit was prompted by a need to replace the middle chainring on the High Sierra, a condition that has existed for a long time. I’ve avoided the middle chainring, it being more inconvenience than problem, but wanted to make the bike fully functional now that it has excellent tires and fenders. Before reaching the shop things turned worse when the chain refused to pass through the rear derailleur properly by slipping off the guide pulley. Even my untrained eye recognized that part of the structural metal of the derailleur was badly bent. How? Sabotage, I’m sure. While I slept, certainly. Why or how mattered much less than whether it could be repaired or replaced and how soon it could be done.

An evaluation of the problem confirmed that the rear derailleur was broken. I felt mildly vindicated because I had reached the same conclusion. (I still wonder how someone slipped in over night and damaged it!) As I also expected, the chain and cassette needed to be replaced. Faced with replacing most of the drive train I anticipated a large cost and lengthy down-time. Good fortune prevailed (no pressing repairs on the stands at that moment) and Paul (owner and mechanic) said he could have everything completed in less than an hour.

The High Sierra’s original chainrings are Biopace (For Sheldon Brown's discussion of Biopace visit http://sheldonbrown.com/biopace.html). I have never been able to notice a difference in effort, cadence, knee issues or anything else. So, changing to a standard circular chainring made no difference to me; a 38T, 110mm, Origin-8 cost $40. The rest of the parts; Shimano 6 speed Freewheel was $15; KMC chain $14 and Shimano Acera rear derailleur, $40.

Obviously, I did not choose the most costly parts and for, what I consider to be, obvious reasons. The Schwinn is an everyday bike, but it is not ever going to be subjected to the same amount of stress as the Novara. Any repair to the Novara will be an upgrade. The parts used by Bikes and More will work well and last a long time, in part because of the care I give them and mostly because of the ongoing maintenance provided by my FNBS.

It might be difficult for some people to understand spending “a hundred dollars to repair a bike!” To me it’s one of those “duh moments.” How much would it cost to repair the entire drive train on a car? It’s all a matter of perspective, isn’t it?