Today was...adventurous. It was at different times frustrating, satisfying, sublimely beautiful, nerve wracking, and exciting. It was a lot of other things too, but all in all, a memorable day!
Frustrating: I stopped in a bike shop in Carbondale - the last bike shop until Kansas, to change my chain, a 20 or so minute undertaking. 6 hours and three bike shops later I was on the road! The new chain chain caused all sorts of drive train problems; I ended up putting the old one back on. No more proactive drive train maintenance until I'm back home.
Satisfying: Longbranch Coffee in Carbondale. I'm eating everything in sight, and LB had a great menu w/ lots of vegetarian options...and smoothies! Throughout the course of the day I had coffee, a scone, two smoothies, hummus and a sandwich. Yum! Probably the best food I'll have 'till I get to CO.
Sublimely beautiful: A dramatic, seemingly 360 degree sunset.
Nerve wracking: Getting a flat as darkness fell, with a pump that didn't seem to be working and an untested headlamp. Turns out only the gauge on the pump was not working...and the headlamp worked great!
Exciting: Riding in the dark on unfamiliar country roads!
Oh, and I stayed in what would have been a tool shed were it not outfitted w/ bunks for TransAm riders. Accommodations were courtesy of the Chester, IL, Fraternal Order of Eagles. It was perfect because it was free, and I had access to a shower. The FOE is the place to be in Chester. A volleyball match was underway when I arrived. Sarah, the barkeep, told me I missed the following FOE sponsored events: mud truck show, and bikini bull riding. I did see Leno w/ musical guests KISS on the tube @ the bar, though. KISS?! Not every act s/ try for a comeback.
Oh, and I stayed in what would have been a tool shed were it not outfitted w/ bunks for TransAm riders. Accommodations were courtesy of the Chester, IL, Fraternal Order of Eagles. It was perfect because it was free, and I had access to a shower. The FOE is the place to be in Chester. A volleyball match was underway when I arrived. Sarah, the barkeep, told me I missed the following FOE sponsored events: mud truck show, and bikini bull riding. I did see Leno w/ musical guests KISS on the tube @ the bar, though. KISS?! Not every act s/ try for a comeback.
Leslie, the Crab Orchard Lake picture is for you of course! I hope it brings back great memories. Thanks for all your encouragement! :)
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2 comments:
Steve, often shifting problems immediately after a change of chain is due to a worn cassette or worn front chainrings, or both. This is because the old cassette/chainrings have worn into the shape of the old stretched out chain, and the new (actually slightly shorter) non-stretched chain doesnt mate with the shape of the worn cassette/chainrings. As such you will likely need to change the cassette and chainrings together with the chain...
The problem was for sure w/ a worn front chainring - the middle one. It took quite a while to figure it out, though. My rear cassette is new, so the problem's not there. We ended up putting my old chain back on to get things working again. Replacing it was a proactive move intended to extend the life of my new cassette. I'll just keep riding on my oldish chain, etc. 'till Pueblo. I don't want to do a complete drive train overhaul on the road, esp. now that my shifting's working well. *Thanks for the advice & guidance.* :)
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