Quick update: Trip to the Sort-of LBS was delayed until this past weekend, but I sucked up my pride and walked in with my puzzling rear wheel. The gentleman dropped it in a truing stand, didn't think it was so bad, so I picked out some rubber and progress began. I noticed while he was adjusting the spokes that he stopped and adjusted the rear bearings - OOPS, missed that. Gotta build a truing stand and quit trying to do this while holding the bike in my lap.
Anyway, the lumpy old tires are gone, it's feeling a lot better. While they were working on the bike I picked out my first ever helmet; thought it better to get that local where I could check fit.
Spent this evening learning how to get my new shoes with cleats to mate up to the pedals (only have used basket type toe clips in the past). The dogs kind of backed off to a corner during this demonstration (working on the "bicycle sofa" inside again).
Also learned this week that if you think you look overweight when staring at yourself naked in the mirror, just put on some bike shorts - it can actually get worse. Yeesh, gives me the willies thinking about it.
The downer part of today's update is that I didn't actually get to ride. Had to pull all the main electrical cables out of the old Dodge diesel and clean them, resolder some half-***** conections done by some shop in the past, but at least the truck runs now. Two batteries is a real downer when you've got to service the whole attached pile of guts that go with it. But hey, I can fix my truck, just not my bicycle apparently.
Enjoyed the trip to the LBS; got to chat some with the staff and some other customers waiting on various things. Most enjoyable; makes me realize how isolated I've become from overwork. Get to watch people test out $3000 bikes, while I'm sitting there totting up my purchases in my noggin, thinking "darn, two tires and a helmet, I've about doubled the money in my CL deluxe special." Oh yeah don't forget the bartape (got pretty yellow bartape to go with the pretty yellow Lithions, which all sort of match the yellow SPD pedals I robbed from my daughter's mountain bike build up. Yellow is kind of the theme now, since I didn't see anything in screaming loud green. [hears heads shaking, mumbles of noobies got no taste...etc]
Anyway, given all but the worst weather, I'll do a quick pressure check on the tires, don my sexy new shorts with the built in diapers, place my new styrofoam chapeau upon my head (and yes I actually read the instructions on how to wear a plastic hat), slip my dainty little cleated booties over all the little piggies, and I shall endeavor to stay aloft (or at least mostly upright) for a full twenty minutes. Mainly because it'll take me a full 18 minutes to get up the nerve to try and stop the thing and remember how to remove my feet from the cute little deathtraps they're stuck to. Tallyho!
Getting back to the classic bike topic, I'm hoping after a couple of rides I'll have the brake hoods where I want them and can complete the bar taping extravaganza (where did I put that Sheldon Brown article?), and I'll finish polishing the aluminium chunks and then we'll take a nice presentable pic before I get it all dirty again.
Started working on the some of the polishing this evening while "Saving Grace" was on. Holly Hunter is from around here, so we watch.
ANyway, my pills are kicking in and I'll start rambling even worse, so I'll quit now. Should be able to wrap up this thread on a happy note, and then it's off to moan in the Clydesdale forum.
Thanks,
Rob