My Morning Commute

[Rod Smith]

Five broken spokes!? Felt a little wobbly, eh? At least the brake wasn’t rubbing! The stock rear wheel on my disc brake bike was sort of defective. I broke about six spokes, but I never rode with more than three broken at the same time. I should have tried to warranty that wheel. A good reason to buy from a shop that cares about it’s customers.

It’s much more common to break drive side spokes on rear wheels (vs. non-drive side) and they are usually harder to replace. Disc brakes complicate changing non-drive side spokes and perhaps because of that, most of the broken spokes on this wheel were non-drive side. In fact I did not have a Torx wrench that provided sufficient leverage to break the rotor bolts free (brake rotor bolts are installed with Loctite). I recommend the Park Tool T-handle Torx wrench.

[rcannon100]

Hope your morning commute was better than this guys…..

http://cyclejerk.blogspot.com/2012/11/picture-1000-words.html

[Tim Kelley]

@rcannon100 35330 wrote:

Hope your morning commute was better than this guys…..

http://cyclejerk.blogspot.com/2012/11/picture-1000-words.html

Congratulations! Today you’ve won three internets for that post!

[Greenbelt]

I think I’ve still got my old wheels from your very same bike if you want to use while you’re waiting for warranty replace. -Jeff

[culimerc]

rcannon100;35330 wrote:

hope your morning commute was better than this guys…..

http://cyclejerk.blogspot.com/2012/11/picture-1000-words.html

cx fail!!

[jrenaut]

Not a morning commute but an evening one – I had a work happy hour at Churchkey last night. My two coworkers left 5-10 minutes before I did. They walked out of the building, across the street to the bus stop, and took the bus directly to Churchkey. I went downstairs, changed, grabbed my bike, rode to Churchkey, locked up my bike, and beat them there by five minutes.

Oh, and I was briefly held up on the way by a gentleman driving a shuttle bus who wanted to u-turn on PA Ave. I told him, loudly but politely, that no turns were allowed. Then I told him again, and again, then stopped in the intersection where he was trying to turn and told him agian, then he decided to turn right.

[Certifried]

@Greenbelt 35339 wrote:

I think I’ve still got my old wheels from your very same bike if you want to use while you’re waiting for warranty replace. -Jeff

Rod nailed it, a bike shop that really DOES care! I’m good though, Jeff, thanks. Not commuting too much lately, and can use the Trek for the few days I do. Thanks though! It’s truly appreciated. See you Saturday and Sunday for sure!

[rcannon100]

What’s the similarity between subway commuters and bike commuters? :confused:

Neither can fit their asses on/in their seats :rolleyes:

I]Ug. My repair parts cant come fast enough. Day one of riding the subway commuting. I am getting a 2nd bike for xmas![/I

[Certifried]

Smacked the alarm off at 00:dark:30 this morning. Went back to sleep. Now I’m not sure if I’m depressed because I didn’t ride, or wanting to ride because I’m depressed. Either way, there’s only one solution. Ride.

[pfunkallstar]

I just pretend that I’m a superhero using the darkness to better prey on my malcontents, kind of like this Batman I hear so much about. Given the spandex and affinity for gadgets, I’m just one six pack and a cowel away from being in a Marvel money making scheme.

[vvill]

@rcannon100 35514 wrote:

What’s the similarity between subway commuters and bike commuters? :confused:

Neither can fit their asses on/in their seats :rolleyes:

I]Ug. My repair parts cant come fast enough. Day one of riding the subway commuting. I am getting a 2nd bike for xmas![/I

What exactly happened with your bike? Snapped chain?
I keep telling myself I need to keep a spare chain or two at home but haven’t got around to buying them.

[consularrider]

@vvill 35589 wrote:

What exactly happened with your bike? Snapped chain?
I keep telling myself I need to keep a spare chain or two at home but haven’t got around to buying them.

That’s why you’ve got the multiple bike option.

[rcannon100]

@vvill 35589 wrote:

What exactly happened with your bike? Snapped chain?
I keep telling myself I need to keep a spare chain or two at home but haven’t got around to buying them.

“Okay, We learned a lot today!”

Yes, Will. A link busted and the chain fell on the ground, a few houses away from home. I think this is in part because I have been having @#$%@ derailer problems, was headed up a little steep hill, probably had a bad shift, and popped the chain.

From what I see online, chains and cassettes get replaced at the same time, as they wear together. Having a spare chain at home might be a solution, but maybe a short term solution.

I got a Chain Breaker from Santa Amazon. Before I used it, I scrubbed my chain down. Now have a nice shinny chain. Used the chain breaker very successfully. Instead of having a spare chain at home, you might just want to buy a chain breaker. Works wonderfully well and its not hard to use. It wasnt long before I had my chain back on.

Then I took lunch break which involved going down to Phoenix bikes to drop off a bike a neighbor had thrown out. Well, if you go to Phoenix Bikes to drop off a bike, of course you have to come home with one (or two) as well. As Consular suggested, I now have a spare backup bike (25″ Trek – gonna use it to attach a dog trailer to). Phoenix also has a sweet, I think it was schwin, tandem with white sidewalls that they are fixing up. Drool drool drool.

Now back to my bike. With the chain cleaned and fixed, and everything else cleaned and adjusted, I still could not get the derailer to work – and was very suspicious of the housing. So off to Velocity Bikes for the first time in Del Ray. This was a most excellent experience. The place was not busy. They kid at the desk was wonderful. Showed me exactly what to do, helped me replace my housing, adjusted it some more —- and now the derailer is working sweet.

Except…..

Except he pulled out this tool that measures how dead your chain is… and the tool said chain is dead. He said the cogs on the rear were toast as well — and for that matter on the front as well.

So I now have a working but worn out bike – and a brand new backup / spare / pulling the dog trailer bike. Do I as Santa Amazon for a bike repair stand for xmas and take my good bike apart during winter break?

[mstone]

You shouldn’t have to change the cassette at the same time as the chain unless you wait too long to replace the chain.

[Certifried]

@Greenbelt 35339 wrote:

I think I’ve still got my old wheels from your very same bike if you want to use while you’re waiting for warranty replace. -Jeff

Ended up taking Jeff up on his wheel offer since Jamis is dealing with the hurricane and nor’easter storm. So back in business, but man are those vittoria tires a serious PITA to take off/put on.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[Author]

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