#211
Red Leader had the flu over Christmas, so he did not feel much like riding on this sunny, crisp (outdoor-speak for cold) day.
I found a substitute in the Lanky Lad (my stepson) who agreed to a hybrid rental and a short ride in Folsom and on the American River Trail.
Renting a bike was a shallow excuse for me to ask the bike shop to bail me out of my inept brake pad change attempt. My Avid BB7 pads have almost 3000 miles on them and it was time for new ones. Now, BB7s are supposed to be among the easiest mechanical disk brakes to work on, but not in my case. I got the old pads out, got the new pads in, but even with the caliper adjustment backed all the way out, both the inboard and outboard pads made serious contact with the rotors. Scrub scrub scrub. Bleah.
It took the tech 1/2 an hour to sort it out. He got a quick lesson from me in HP Velotechnick's wheel removal, then LL and I headed out for a coffee to avoid hovering over the tech. Mr. Tech took it for a spin around the parking lot and pronounced it so comfortable!
Yes, yes it is.
Lanky Lad has been without a bike at college due to self-admitted neglect of his vintage Schwinn. He received funds for a used bike at Christmas and will go bike shopping for a campus-worthy beater when he returns to Oregon in January.
He may reconsider looking for a hybrid, but I believe the Giant comfort bike he rented was unusually heavy and slow for a hybrid frame. However, he kept up with my junior-roadie speed (15-20mph) down Iron Point Road from the shop, lamented his decrease in aerobic conditioning, but pedaled gamely up the Iron Point hill when we returned to the shop.
I have finally signed up for the premium (paid) Strava subscription and have had fun adding filters to my segments in a (usually) vain attempt to raise my rank on the leaderboard.
I've put the front fenders on my bike, and plan to try to ride every day, barring torrential downpours, high winds, or lightning.
CU
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