I picked up my bike last night from Century Cycles. The mechanic explained all the stuff he had found wrong with it during the tune-up (which I also had done on it). I guess the cables to the gears were frayed (I’d kind of suspected that), too. He replaced them. And re-wrapped part of the wraps on my handlebars that were coming loose. Greased some things that needed to be greased, which will reduce some the noise and clicking I’d been hearing, particularly under my seat.
My bike will be like new again, when I get the chance to ride it. (Probably not until tomorrow as I’m going to Kennywood today with Diane and her husband Jeff.)
It’s the kind of attention they give you at Century Cycles that makes me feel secure about sending my bike there. One year, I sent my hybrid to another bicycle shop for a tune-up. About a week later, I was riding around in the Valley when the cable to my gears snapped and I couldn’t change gears. Unfortunately, at the time that it happened, I was climbing up Quick Road. So I had to ride back to Peninsula in a really low gear, which made the trip ten times as long. I took my bike into Century Cycles so that I could get back to the parking lot of Deep Lock Quarry and they immediately replaced the cable for me. I asked them if the other bike shop should have noticed the cable was about to break, or if perhaps I broke it somehow. The mechanics at CC said that it would probably have been fraying for awhile and the other bike shop should probably have noticed that.
I remember that story in times like yesterday as I was being given detailed information about all the things the mechanic at CC found when he was tuning up my bike. I can’t help but think that these guys are really paying attention. It makes the other bike shop look as though they are not doing a very thorough job when performing a tune-up… It just affirms to me that I should always take my bike into CC because they seem to go above and beyond with their service on your bike. I am willing to pay, always, for good service.
On another note, I managed to procure (borrow) Michael’s extra set of Speedplay Frogs. I’m going to put them on my bike this week to see how they feel. If I like them, there goes another expense. Of course, the cost to my knees is probably unmeasurable so if I’ve got more float with the Speedplays than I do with the SPDs, it will be well worth it.
I also remembered that I need a bike light. Fall is coming with shorter days. My club rides until it gets too cold on Thursdays, using bike lights when the sun goes down. I have a pretty crappy light that doesn’t hold much charge for very long and the light it gives out is really pathetic–pale yellow and it does not cover a very large parameter. I got seriously scared a few times last year while riding with the club in the dark.
Hobbies are sure expensive!!
Ski season is coming… At least with skis, all I need to do is tune and wax them… And I probably don’t even need to do that this year because I only used my new ones a handful of times last year…
Mars Girl on Two Wheels 