Got up to 88 east-coast degrees here today. New saddle is a huge improvement. Had to make a stop about a mile in to raise it a little, and as I was getting ready to dismount to attend to that, a whiff of the air told me someone nearby had some skunkweed. The fellow called attention to himself (crouched beside a building) announcing he was just taking a taste of something. When I stopped to adjust the seat, he went on ahead. Maybe a half mile down the greenway, I see him stopped with his bike upside down. His hands were completely black with grease, and he said he had a problem with his chain, but couldn't figure it out. I had it sorted for him in under a minute, and adjusted his rear quick release too. I went on my way with rather greasy fingers myself.
I'd only been out about 3 or 4 times this year before taking Bumblebee out, so while my circulation was fine, my legs were feeling the effects of yesterday's ride. This said, I did not have to walk up any of the short punchy climbs today. Stopped on the return direction to see what had become of what had been my LBS. I had seen on local news that they were co-locating with an adventure outfitter, so I went by to see. Sadly, that LBS is no more, and the "co-location" amounted to their stock being sold to the outfitter, and the LBS owner picking up a part-time wrenching gig there.
That put a damper on the mood and I contemplated this while taking on a "small" ice cone.
Decided one circuit was best, but I wanted to see how fast I could get this old thing to go. With just over a mile to go, I hit a flat, open stretch with absolutely nobody else in sight. Strava said I topped out at 20,8 mph on semi-dead legs.
I wanted to point out my cheap, solution to my front brake dilemma. After going through my spare brakes, and realizing that all I had that would work was a center-pull, and then going through my 2 or 3 hangers, and realizing none of them would work, hit upon this idea. I had purchased a bag of 50 plastic adjusters for cheap a few years back and thought, "If I only had a place to set this"... After a trip to Ace with one of the adjusters and the lamp bracket, I found a perfect washer for 59 cents. Despite being a perfect size, it needed to not move around. I've been sorely disappointed with various "super glue" formulas before (including Gorilla Superglue). Well, let me tell you about one that works beyond my expectations. Loctite Super Glue Gel control went on exactly where I wanted it to go, and on went the washer. No less than 10 seconds later, I thought, "hmmm let me move this just a little farther away from the headset lock nut.' Too late. That washer was not moving.
And the "new" saddle. Will have to see it there's some way to replace the bag strap attachment points that were on the rear of this saddle when it left the factory. Even if I can't, this is a huge improvement over what was on it yesterday.
Today's mileage. 14.30
Total mileage 46.65 almost halfway there (over 3/4 had I chosen a metric frame)
