Easy Wheelie

Now I know what my problem with riding a wheelie is, I didnt have one of thease on my Stingray as a child!

Broke one tool, found a new one

After spending the last couple of months trying to figure out what the weird rattle was that my bike was making and not being able to chase it down I finally gave up. Hey it really wasn't that bad and nothing  had exploded or fallen off, so i thought what the hell I'll just ride it till something dies.......

Fast forward to last Sunday afternoon; the sun was out, the roads were dry and Wangpig and his wife were going out on the tandem. Time to switch out the cross tires and wheels that had been on the bike all winter and put on something that rolls a little better. Out came the good old hand built commuter wheels with the 700 x 23 gatorskins. Installed them, and as an afterthought remembered that the spare tubes I had been lugging  around all winter were bigger 700 x 23/28's Opened up the seat bag, pulled out the tubes and with them comes a handful of parts. 

That's right, that's what happens to a multi tool that has never been removed from a seat pack in 4 years of riding some of the roughest roads that this part of Ohio has to offer. Chalk that one up to experience; remember boys and girls, keep a close eye on your tool.

Fast forward a couple more days. The weather has been excellent for this time of year; overnight lows in the high 30's or low 40's, a gentle wind out of the southeast, and it was time to explore some new roads and visit some good old ones.

Going around a curve in the road today we spied something orange laying on the side of the road; was it a a traffic cone? Was it a crushed traffic barrel? Nothing in nature is that color orange at this time of year;  what could it be?

Just what I always wanted and my dear wife has told me I have no use for; come on sweetie, everyone needs a chainsaw!!

The only problem was I had to drive back down and pick it up; I guess this will teach me not to carry some cord in my seat bag.

Frazz

Click on the comic to get it big enough to read.

The Most Important Part

Some people say that the most important part of a bicycle is the engine sitting on the saddle powering the cranks. Others will try and tell you that the bike is nothing without the latest and greatest suspension fork, or the latest group set. And yet another set of people will tell you that unless you have super lite and super stiff wheels set up tubeless with the best tires money can buy, you won't be able to hang. Let me tell you all right now: "THEY ARE WRONG!"

This little 16 gram piece of finely machined aluminum is the most important part. Just replace one of your 1 1/8 inch headset spacers with this little beauty and you're good to go. No more will you have to use some odd bike part to open your beer.  No more worrying that you forgot the opener and don't have twist off lids, and no more being disgusted when you find out that the people running the last race brought the wrong tap for the keg. And, when you're working in your basement you won't have to walk over to the workbench for an opener when you're working on your bike, because you will always be able to open your beer and those of your friends. 

Tucked away neatly you will never know it's there.

 

So lift your bottles high and toast your friends; it's going to be another great year of riding.