Coloradopenguin

Last Friday, while enjoying my ride as part of DG's Ride against Paraskavedekatriaphobia, I shredded my bottom bracket and had to call for rescue.

Now the bike will be in the LBS for repairs until the end of this week, and my new bike is not expected to arrive until Halloween. But everything is working out well. I asked the new owner of the LBS about improving the granny end of my crank/rings, since the old crank was showing its age. Must have caught him in a good mood, because the LBS is putting on a sweet Shimano crank and bb, installed and tuned for less than the cost of parts through Nashbar or Performance!

With the new bike (Trek 7.6 FX) set up for touring, and a dependable Diamond Back mtb with an awesome granny for the back woods, I'll be set up for the best of both worlds!

As I write this it is raining, and expecting snow before morning, so I really am not missing any riding. And with the prospects of new gears and new bike, life is good.
fox.jpg

PS: I really posted this so I could share this photo of the fox I saw an a ride last week. I can't take credit for the photo, but what a beautiful animal

nmichell

Yep, snowing here in Ft. Collins today, although it's not sticking to the ground. I was glad to get in a good 40 mile ride Saturday, and a nice 7 mile ride with my daughter on Sunday. A great fall weekend, but the weather has definitely changed. Thinking of putting the bike on the trainer ...

Great picture, but I don't have to leave town to see foxes. They seem to do just fine in the city.

Nick

Coloradopenguin

I went to CSU in Fort Collins back in the day . . . I remember a lot of two-legged foxes

Makeitso

Snow? What's that? Hope you get your bike right on the first time.

Coloradopenguin

Since this is my first new bike in 15 years, what do I need to be especially worried about?

My LBS fitter has taken basic measurements, and when the new bike arrives they put it (and me) up on rollers to do the next fit, and then it's outside for the final tweaking.

Makeitso

Just ride it and check to make sure the dr's and the BB are adjusted properly.

Coloradopenguin

Sound advice -- I had my mtb in for a couple of repairs earlier this season and the LBS owner has provided very good service and the quality of work has been good. He's trying to build a business in a small market, and after he replaced a chain he called a couple of days later to make sure everything was working well. Impressive for a $15 job!

My new bike is coming through another shop, located 40 miles away. I tried to deal with the local LBS, but after testing bikes at 5-6 different shops, selected Trek because it had a better feel and required fewer alterations to meet my wish list.

So I'll continue to use the local shop to keep the mtb on the road, and form a relationship with the shop in Grand Junction for the new bike.

Mojo Slim

My road bike (Giant OCR comp) is in the shop for a new bottom bracket, too. Waiting for the part, but like the Penguin, it's not a bad time. I rode my MTB (96 Giant ATX) today to get ready for a special "rail trail" ride tomorrow. If the BB doesn't come in, I can still ride the Road Giant . . . . carefully. The BB is still on warranty, which is nice.

Makeitso

It's nice to have more than one bike.
I have a Trek 1100 that is in the shop for new wheel set (broke a spoke on the rear wheel).
I still have the trusty ol' GT Timberline I've had for 17 years that I can ride in the mean time.

Sandwarrior

Okay, please pardon what initially may appear to be a silly question (after all it is four in the morning, I have 2 hours left on my shift, and I have had only six hours of sleep). I cannot figure out what you are refering to when you say "Bottom Bracket". Can someone show me a picture please?

WillisB

It is the spindle and bearing assembly that your crank attaches to. The sleeve it fits into at the bottom of your bike is called the Bottom Bracket Shell.

https://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=94

The above link is to the Park tools website BB service instructions.

Coloradopenguin

And after taking the bike out for its first real ride since the repair, a properly adjusted and functioning bottom bracket makes a HUGE difference!

I did not realize just how bad the BB had become. The bearings were shot, and apparently the entire assembly was allowing the crank to wobble -- the LBS said the wear shows I've been riding a long time on a worn-out bottom bracket.

When I asked what to watch for, the service guy said the gear rings should stay aligned as you spin the crank . . . which it did when I spun the crank without a load (in reverse). So the lesson is to watch the ring while riding -- and make sure you don't run into a parked car!

Another test is to try to wiggle the crank. If there is movement, the bottom bracket needs attention. (I did not detect much movement until a couple of weeks before the assembly fell apart in the middle of the ride, and I was hoping to wait until the new bike arrived before getting it fixed.)

So this year my old mountain bike has been rejuvenated with a new bottom bracket, new crankset with much improved climbing gears, and a new chain . . . almost like a new bike for around $100!