SaiKaiTai

Ah, so nice to be back home.
It's taken me all week to start getting back into my own timezone.
I don't "do" timezones very well. Add to that a 4 hour delay going back and a 2 hour delay coming home and you've got yourself no joy.

But it was a good visit and worth the pain of travel.

Got a couple of days in on the stationary in the folks' building's gym.
And I really just have to give it up for Mrs S.

I brought up the idea of renting a couple of bikes and riding around Central Park which is closed to traffic on the weekends. But it just didn't look like it was going to fit into our schedule. Well, that's cool BUT Mrs S. -Mrs S, mind you- won't let it go. She pushed and pushed and I caved so we reserved a couple of bikes on Tuesday for that Saturday. Now I have something to look forward to . (N.B. the bike rental was affiliated with a Triathalon shop and in the window and lining a wall top and bottom: Colnagos of every shape, size, and configuration. I had to ask. "I don't suppose you rent those out, do you?" )

As Saturday approached we watched the weather.
There was a LOT of "weather" going on last week. Wow.
Rain Saturday... No, Sunday... no, Saturday.... no, Showers Saturday... finally, possible scattered showers Saturday... and Mrs S is still not backing out. Well.

So, we go down on Saturday to get the bikes and we have our 6.2 mile loop around the Park to follow. What we did not know what that Central Park is not level. At all. And, recall, Mrs S doesn't fancy hills, up or down. Down we went, heading up town on the East Side and just before well went around and headed down the West Side, we hit the hill. A winding, 1/4 mile climb of about 4 or 5% (maybe more, I don't really know) and just like a couple of weeks ago, she mumbled and she was breathing and working but she got to the top. She was pretty pleased. And we went around again. The hill was easier this time but it's still a climb but she followed me up. I was able to find a gear that would let me spin but keep her pace so we could ride up together. I gave her some encouragement and found out pretty quickly that she just wanted the company. Quiet company So, we made it back around and she says "OK, I'll do that hill ONE more time and then we find a different route to ride". So, I said, "We don't have to go up again. We could find a way around it. In fact, I kind of want to see..." "I said we can do it ONE more time!" Mrs S is ASKING to go up the hill. Alright!

And some point we stopped to see the weather observatory at Belvedere Castle. Turns out we kind of crashed some wedding. Check out those Scotts!


In all my glory, on the roof of the Castle. Notice the ToC jersey? California bred and proud of it. Take that N'Yawkers!


As many times as we've visited the park, we've never visited Strawberry Fields.
Since the loop passed right by W. 72nd, we took the exit.


Give Mrs S a sign and she will pose for you

SaiKaiTai

We stopped and had a hot dog, pretzel and a Snapple right across the street of the Dakota. Coming 2 days after 9/11, it had kind of a solemn feel.

While we visited the WTC in August 2001, we've never been back to Manhattan on 9/11. Even from my distance, it was a day I will remember. We went out that night and I got this shot down Park Ave looking down toward the WTC.

And the Empire state all "dressed up"


Anyway, we got home late Sunday night/Monday morning and I couldn't wait to get out on my Giant. And I did. I've noticed over the past few weeks that the FD just wasn't as positive and smooth as it had been. It became balky and tempermental. It started dropping the chain, inside and out. It seemed that no adjustment or amount of adjustment could get it to work predictably. Well, it really went off the rails on Monday when I when to shift and it made a horrible ratcheting noise. And then the cage just jammed into the big ring. That was the noise, as it turns out... as I shifted up, the cage wasn't quite clearing the ring and its teeth were hitting the cage.

I checked it and adjusted and and sort of got it to work but by the next day when I went to take it out again, it was all out of whack. Now, in the sunlight I started looking from a different angle and look what I found


Gee, you don't think that would be a problem, do you? No wonder I couldn't adjust the thing. So, I went back to my favorite LBS and a couple (just in case) of Genuine Giant-branded derailleur brackets. Took a half hour to get it on the bike and all adjusted up. Took it today for 12.5 miles and it's a new bike all over again.

stapfam

Great report and great to hear of the wife wanting to do hills. Perhaps she was missing home. All you have to do is get a few more rides in on the Giant, just to prove that the legs still work and you will be fine. And now the Pic of the DR bracket works- How the H&ll did that happen. Time to run over the bike looking for loose bits and rust coming on the heavy old Frame.

cranky old dude

Yep, that was probably the problem. Your handicap was lack of
daylight, mine is poor eyesight. Finding the broken part always is
a relief either way.

Thanks for the great ride report complete with pictures.

SaiKaiTai

The joy of 2 -well, 3- bikes. Can't take the Giant? Take the LeMond.
So, I got the Giant out on Monday, the LeMond out on Wednesday and the Giant out again today.
The legs arre kind of over the shock but they still need a few more miles to get back where they were.

Back to Mrs S. By the end of the day, she had racked up about 22 miles, her longest -and I dare say her hardest- ride to date. Good on her! And the only reason we stopped when we did was because her saddle -her, crappy, foam rubber saddle just got to her. Truth is, I was hurting some, too.

I think the bracket screws might have worked a bit loose until the FD got out of alignment. When the cage jammed in the big ring, I think that cracked it and finished the job. I don't know but you can bet I put it back together with some Blue LocTite And I'll be keeping a closer eye on it.