My fiance and I recently moved to New Orleans. To get here we loaded up the VW wagon and made the drive. We trimmed down our bike collection by putting a few in storage and selling the ones we weren't really attached to. We strapped the remaining 4 on the roof. Two road bikes, and two city/commuter bikes. She brought a Specialized Allez from about 2000, and a 1980 Miyata 610 converted to a single speed. I brought my recently built Merida road bike, and my Austro Daimler city bike. The AD is where I spend most of my time in the saddle, and it is my favorite ride.



Along the way to the deep south (read about the trip here if you desire) we took the bikes off the roof at night because neither one of us trusted the locking skewers on the Yakima racks. While leaving Washington DC (where we visited my sister) I FORGOT to strap down the back wheel on the AD!!!! It was early in the morning, but really, this is no excuse. Its kinda like forgetting to put the seatbelt on one of your children.

Traveling west on the famous Route 66, Syrah (my fiance) hears a light thud, and just so happens to glance out the the side mirror. She saw an object sitting in the middle of the road with drivers swerving around it. It took us each a moment to realize it came from our car and we pulled over. We looked at each other and Syrah said "I'm scared to look at the roof!" She was terrified. Not about losing a bike, but causing a major traffic accident. I looked up on the roof and my AD was missing. While Syrah was having a bit of a panic attack (I was quite scared too), I calmed her a bit and started running along the shoulder to retrieve the wreckage.

A quarter mile later, I see the bike sitting on the white dashed line between two lanes of traffic. The heavy traffic was swerving around it, and I had to wait for an opening to get out there. It sat at the threshold between the 4th and 5th lane of the highway (one of the lanes was a merging on-ramp). Traffic was whizzing by. I was scared each time I saw a car approaching. What if it didn't swerve? What if it hits the bike and spins out of control? What happens if someone slams on the brake and skids out? ugh!

Finally there was a break in the traffic and I ran out and grabbed the bike. I threw it over my shoulder and started to run back towards the car. I got to the car, put the bike on the ground, and went to see how Syrah was. She was still there, but wanted to leave. I needed to find a way to get my mangled bike back on the roof. The back of the car was too stuffed to fit it in there. The fork ends were a bit twisted, and one of them was squeezed just enough from impact with the pavement that it would not fit over the skewer. I forced the fork end open using leverage from the guard rail and managed to get it big enough to accept the skewer. I quickly took off the mangled fenders with a pocket tool and strapped her back on the car.



The damage to the AD: Bent fork blades; "squeezed" fork end; roughed up saddle, pedal, and handlebars; bent rear triangle, bent rear axle, shot rear hub bearings. I thought it was going to be worse.

I used homemade drop out alignment tools, a 2x4, and strength to fix all the bends. The fork blades turned out to be not the bad. Once I aligned the drops, the blades seemed to align themselves. I'm guessing this is because of the oval shaped tubes. I aligned the rear triangle with a string, caliper, and the 2x4 using Sheldon's cold setting technique. I replaced the axle and cartridge bearings in the Harris Cyclery Formula hub (I made a bearing press using bronze bushings, and the track nuts that go with the wheel. Worked perfectly.) I replaced the handlebars. The Avocet seat still works, and so do the pedals. Here is the repaired machine. I'm so glad to have her back. I'm so glad nobody was hurt.

Excellent. You made my day.
I'm glad you're OK, and I'm sorry about your bike.
Now, you know the bike even better, if that was possible.
There's not a better illustration of our connections to our velos.

You ran into heavy freeway traffic?!
I hope you wore your helmet.

HA! I had to wait on the sholder for about 5 minutes until there was a lull big enough so I could run out there and grab it. It was an intense 5 minutes!!!

wow, what a way to end a rough week, reading your story. Puts everything in perspective tonight. You'll be missed in Massachusetts.

Good luck in your adventures and I'm glad you're safe.

Scott

But Route 66 runs from Chicago to L.A. How were you on it from D.C. to NOLA?

Maybe its not the famous one then. I thought it was the begining of the famous one, but I guess its the begining of the unfamous one.

Wow, that's a story with a happy ending. Glad you didn't get hurt and the bike was saved.
Such lapses in memory to check this and that happens to all of us. I remember packing for a business fair in NJ when I was younger and still in NYC. I was in charge of the computers and displays, coworker was managing paperwork, flyers and brochures.
We left the office in midtown Manhattan and I look in the rear view to see what looked like a ticker tape parade....then I realized it was coming from our car! Looks like coworker forgot a box on top of the roof. We had to gather up as much as we could, dodging cars!

Good luck to the two of you on your relocation to New Orleans. I'm packing for Phoenix.

Ok I'd ask why you're moving TO New Orleans as that seems like the wrong direction but that would be another thread and better suited to the Foo forum. You can have my old place. Great story about your bike. Glad you could save it.

[edit] Ahhh, I see you mentioned your fiance is starting a program. Could I hazard a guess that it's Tulane or LSU medical? Anyway, enjoy your stay.

Very well done!
Extra points to you for not sawing off the derailleur hanger...

The famous Route 66 is US Highway 66, not Interstate 66, which is just a lost piece of asphalt from DC out to I-81. (I used to drive it regularly). And glad you saved her, she looks nice. If you like food, you'll love N'Awlins. Back when we could, the wife and I would travel down there just for gluttonous weekends.

I still have the original pieces except wheels. Most of the original parts don't work so well, but I have them, and one day I'll clean them up. Its an excellent frame for a fixed gear. everything was clamp-on, big shimano drops, and standard BB threading. I couldn't resist.

Anyone who drives a Passat wagon* is a friend of mine.


____
*My wife and I bought one of the last 2001 "B5" wagons, just before the 2001.5 "B5.5" facelift, and it has served us well for almost 8 years. It is great to have the safety, handling, fuel economy, and fahrfegnugen of a European sports touring sedan with small SUV-like cargo space and versatility.

Nice story. Welcome to NOLA.