How much brake rub does it take?
I had a miserable commute this morning.
Although my office is 15 miles north of my house, I decided to head south for 15 miles into the prevailing, 10 mph headwind. In the drops, geared down, it was slower and harder than I would have expected. The trip up to the north was no better. The tailwind virtually disappeared, and I struggled to hold the 50/15 gear ratio that I use on calm days.
It wasn't in my head. A guy and girl passed me like I was standing still. I caught up to a guy on a cross bike with big tires, who, once he saw me, went off like a rocket and pretty quickly had and held a 50 yard gap for a bunch of miles.
When I arrived at the office drenched in sweat, I did a quick bike check. The front brake was softly touching the rim on one side, just enough to cut a light free spin down to half of what it should have been.
Would that be enough to account for the no good, very hard day, or should I look elsewhere?