Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Finally it works




The only hotel that I've had the opportunity to have an extended visit where the actually don't disturb - and quietly slid the note under the door.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Answer


R-B survived the crossing intact.

Putting together for 1st time required about double the time of my clown bike; but then again it required a lot more reassembly as well - everything's in pieces. Beyond removing the seatpost, crank, pedals, and bottle cages - the similarities end there. For the R-B the handlebar gets removed as does its stem, the front brake, and the rear derailleur and trying to figure out how all those split cables reattach. Instead of quick releases, as on the clown bike, the R-B has bolts & clamps that need to be retightened. The downtube clamp even comes with a mini torque wrench. Minor adjustment to ensure smooth shifting, make sure it's all straight & ready to go.

I didn't even get a chance to take it out for a test ride before packing it away for this trip. So once install & calibrate the darn computer get all kitted up & I'll be on my way.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Yea but can I put it back together?

Clown bike is officially semi-retired as I travel for the first time (later today) with my new Ritchey Break-away.

I built it up with a mixture of old & new Shimano (105, Ultegra & Dura-Ace) group components.

It's packed it in a smaller hard case container (26x26x10) than the soft-sided case (8.5x26.5x 31) that comes with it - so more disassembly was required. And since this bike is a regular bike with normal sized wheels, either case wouldn't fit in the overhead bin (like I'm used to), so I'll need to either fit in in the closet (with a sympathetic "A" FA) or send it to purgatory with the rest of the baggage (which is why I've got the hard case).

Clown bike lasted me 15 years before getting really cantankerous to maintain, and it was a great ride while it lasted - and I'll miss talking it's up features and strange looks from those I'd meet (from the hotel elevators to racers in some occasional crits). Let's hope I get another 15 outta the Ritchey.