Victories and Losses of a Bike Enjoyer
Gears for Fears
I finished my restoration of my great grandpa's bike - The only original parts I kept were the frame, handlebar stem and bars. It's an old Schwinn Continental from the 70s. I found a Schwinn mountain bike on facebook marketplace for $60. I gutted it for parts. I ended up having to bend the fork, chain stay, and seat stay tubes to fit the larger wheels. Even after fiddling with the alignment of the tubes and drops, the rear wheel still slightly favors the left. It rides fine though - so I'll save that for a rainy day.
Yesterday I took 'er for a spin, tested my brakes and shifter before heading off, and over-shifted past my lower gear; throwing my chain behind my cassette and into my spokes. I was so thorough with adjusting my derailleur and limit screws, and it still slipped past the granny gear. In layman's terms, the chain went behind the gears and caused an oopsie. I wish I had invested in a dork disc to prevent this...
After truing my wheel and bending things back in place, I went for my ride. I rode to the park that's only a few miles away from my place.
The ride there was nice - even had a tailwind.
I ran over a nail as soon as I got to the park.
Swore, spat, and legged it home.
Gotta get a frame pump and some patches...
At least I don't wear lycra. Lycra is that spandex you see cyclists wearing. I don't want to become that kind of guy. I hope I never call myself a "cyclist" either. That's going too far. I'm happy wearing my cut shorts and grimy tennis shoes.
Unless I get a sponsorship from Spam, or maybe Jennie-O Ground Turkey. I'd wear lycra in this specific case.