Of bicycle chains and other things... conclusion

A little over a week ago I replaced the chain on my bike. One thing lead to another and I have been without my bike since then. Until today! Hallelujah!
I picked up the replacement cassette from my local bike shop today and (using one of the funny looking tools my brother gave me for christmas) putting it back on the rear wheel was a cinch. It's really clean and shiny! :-) That lasted about 2 seconds since I immediately donned my helmet and hopped on the bike for a spin through the nearby park. I haven't done much since last friday because my calf is still a little too tight to run. I am counting on the bicycle to loosen it up before I go back to Florida next week - and return to the running.
What did I learn from this (mis)adventure? It's definitely a good idea to check the length of your bicycle chain periodically and replace it if it stretches too much - my brother says 1/8 inch in one foot, the guy at the bicycle shop says every 1,200 miles. I'll be checking the chain periodically from now on because replacing the chain really is "Easier than it looks". Also, it's a lot easier to find a chain than a cassette. Actually, I think I'll keep a spare - chain, that is. :-) Looking forward to tomorrow's ride!

I'm grounded! Aargh!!

I went to the bike store here in Mentor to pick up a cassette to replace the worn one I found when I replaced the chain. Silly me for thinking that they would have just the one I needed. They will have to order it. :-(
Had I thought, I could have ordered it last week when I was in Florida and didn't have the use of my bike. Had I only thought...
Anyway, the new cassette should probably be in by tuesday, thursday latest and I will be back in business. Until then, I can run and do yoga. Think I'll just do the yoga today to stay limber and give my pulled right calf a chance to heal a little. :-)

One surviving image...

Here is the one surviving image from my brother's camera that got trashed on our ride to the Pig Roast. The camera was destroyed when he ran into a dog. This shows us starting our ride from mom's house.

Of bicycle chains and other things...

I love riding my bike. I am not particularly fond of maintaining (i.e., working on) it. That's a bad combination. I bought my bike about a year and a half ago and have already replaced both wheels. That's "wear and tear"!
My daughter and son-in-law gave me a subscription to "Bicycling" Magazine for my birthday. A nice gift. The first two issues came in the mail recently. One of the issues had an article entitled "Easier than it looks". "Easier", I'm for that! It explained that there are three types of bicycle maintenance that are easy to do. One of these is replacing the chain. Well, I am still using the original chain so I figure it can't hurt to try replacing it. Maybe I'll start my real bicycle maintenance with that.
So, I removed the old chain and laid it out on the ground. I laid the new chain next to it to decide how long it should be. The first thing I noticed was that the links of the new chain were shorter than the links of the old chain. Now, links are a standard size, so the old chain had stretched in my year and a half of riding. In fact the old chain was a full link longer when I counted out the same number of links. This fact prompted a quick call to my brother's house. He was playing tennis at the time, so I had to wait an hour to discuss this disturbing development with him.
An hour later when I spoke to him he suggested that I make the new chain the same number of links as the old chain. So, that's what I did. But, he cautioned, if there is too much wear on the sprockets the chain may "skip" when I try to ride hard. "In that case you may have to replace the crankset and/or the freewheel cassette." Now, I don't know a crankset from a hole in the wall but I do know if the chain skips or slips, and it did! Darn!
Back on the phone with my brother. "What now?" I ask. "Like I said, you will have to replace the crankset or the cassette." Came his reply. He must have forseen this whole episode because last Christmas he had given me a box of strange looking tools. I broke open the box and, after removing the rear wheel, I found the tools I would need to remove the rear cassette. With the phone on "speaker" my brother was able to talk me through the process of removing the rear cassette which I immediately put into a ziplock back for save keeping.
I will be in Florida all this week, so there is no time to finish this before next weekend. Next saturday, I will go to the bike shop near my house to get a new cassette and try to finish this repair. All I have to say about the article which prompted this little misadventure is: "Easier than it looks" my A$$. Still smiling though :-)
To be continued...

A blustery day...

It's a gorgeous fall day! Just like yesterday. "Blustery", I love that word. So evocative of the kind of day it is. Beautiful blue sky, dramatic white and dark clouds with a hint of future rain, and shifting blowing winds. This has been one of my favorite words since I read "Winny the Pooh and the blustery day" many years ago. Riding on a day like today is pure joy, with a little struggle built in. Riding with a head wind is a bit of a struggle; riding with a tail wind is pure joy - a happy surprise. I had a wonderful ride this morning. Think I'll go for a walk with my daughter as well - enjoy the lovely, blustery weather.

A visit from Spiderman and SpongeBob

Yesterday, as I was working at my computer, I heard voices outside my door. Glancing into the hall, I saw a miniature Spiderman standing at the top of the steps. When I hailed him, he stole quietly down the steps and out of my sight. I approached the top of the steps with anticipation to find SpongeBob standing on the landing at the bottom of the steps.
My daughter had arrived from Cincinnati with our grandsons in tow. They were dressed in their Halloween finest to show off for grandma and grandpa. Thus begins a wonderful weekend visit with two daughters (the oldest and the youngest), son-in-law, and two grandsons. Oh, happy day! :-)

Earthquake! What???

Yesterday. I felt it. Didn't know what it was, but the house rumbled for about half a second. Here's the news...

FAIRPORT HARBOR, Ohio (AP) -- A mild earthquake offshore in Lake Erie shook Cleveland's northeast suburbs Wednesday afternoon but no immediate damage or injuries were reported.

The quake had a magnitude of 2.9, strong enough to feel like the rumble of a passing truck, according to the Lake County Emergency Management Agency.

The quake occurred about 4:04 p.m. and was centered in Lake Erie about 15 miles northwest of Fairport Harbor, the agency said.

The area between Cleveland and Erie, Pa., is an epicenter for earthquakes. Ohio has had seven quakes this year with a magnitude of 2.0 or greater, most of them in the region northeast of Cleveland.

I never new... First one I've experienced. Wierd!

Rainy, Misty Forest

Rain last evening and a slightly lower temperature this morning contributed to the morning fog. It is actually a very thin, sort of misty, fog. You can feel it when you ride down a short hill because the temperature drops a few degrees. Early morning, before the sun has fully risen, it makes for a rather dreamy atmosphere. The street lights sport halos and the far bend in the road becomes rather indistinct. I had planned to ride about 20 miles. I managed about 7.
Toward the end of the 7 miles I turned onto the gravel path through the woods just as the mist turned into a light rain. The first signal was the hissing sound the drops made as they careened through the leafy canopy above. I glanced at the lake and saw the dimpled surface and knew it was raining. The geese were in full throat. I'm sure they love this weather!
I enjoy the rain, I really do. The only problem is that the surface of the road and especially the boardwalks get slippery. Also, as I mentioned before the raindrops on my glasses impair my ability to see well enough to be safe. So, I packed it in after 7 miles. Still, the ride through the rainy, misty forest early in the morning was worth it!
Maybe I'll go out again for a short ride around noon. :-)

Fall is in the air!

Back home from florida, I immediately notice the cool temperatures that herald the arrival of fall on the "North Coast". Or, south coast of Lake Erie if you prefer. On the last two morning rides I have donned my long sweat pants and long sleeve turtle-neck pullover. The temperature is invigorating and, as long as the pavement is clear and dry, the ride is great! Got a puncture in my rear tire this morning about a mile from home. So, I completed the workout by running the mile alongside my bike and patching the tire when I returned home. I may take a short lunch-time ride just to round out my training for the day. It's all good. :-)

My brother's "two-fer"

Here are pictures of my brother's "two granddaughters in two days". First Kayla, born in Cleveland. Then Avery, born in Cincinnati. Congratulations! Grandpa!

Chasing grandchildren :-)

My brother now has two grandchildren - both girls - born thursday and friday. He got word that his daughter was going to deliver on thursday in Cleveland. So, as quickly as possible, he drove from Cincinnati to Cleveland to see his first grandchild born. He was too late for the birth but was able to spend time with his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. Then, on friday, the word came that his daughter-in-law was about to deliver... in Cincinnati. So, he and the new grandma high-tailed it south to see the birth of his second granddaughter. He arrived in time for this birth.
Mothers, fathers, granddaughters, grandfather, and grandmother are all doing fine. Congratulations to all! In only two days my brother has caught up to me in number of grandchildren. I'll be leading again in the spring when my next grandchild is born. :-)

Florida rain... again

I shouldn't be surprised. Although, generally, my morning runs down here have been "rain free". But, rain and florida go together like... well, like bacon and eggs. Anyway about 45 minutes into my morning run, just about the time I was thinking that it's getting awfully warm and my legs were starting to feel like lead - some mornings it's just like that - I started to feel a few sprinkles. Then I looked down the long, straight, flat road I was running and saw a billowing curtain of rain about a mile ahead. Thirty seconds later, it hit me, a pretty steady downpour. Refreshingly cool, it washed away all the sweat that had been building for the last 45 minutes. It was great! The only slight downside was that my glasses collected the drops, making it a little harder to see. I loved it anyway. I hardly even noticed the wave that hit me from the passing bus. The water collects quickly in the roads down here. No place for it to go.

Riding (for) the Pig!

Yesterday my brother and I rode our bikes the 55 or so miles from our mom's house in Cincinnati to my cousin's farm outside Milan Indiana where my brother's company held its annual pig roast. Yes, there is an actual pig and we do roast it. Mighty good eating too for an omnivore like me!
This is the third year my brother and I have bicycled to this event. We don't bicycle home though. Too dark by the time the roast is over. Anyway, the ride started out well. We headed for Cleves, Ohio. The temperature got into the 90's and I came prepared with one bottle of water on my bike frame and another two 1 liter bottles in my saddle bags. If I bring plenty of water and take a sip every few minutes, that seems to keep me well enough hydrated to avoid leg cramps.
Just outside of Cleves, my brother ran afoul of a country dog. The dog "jumped" us as we were pedalling by. He chased after me since I was in front and the closest target. When I pulled away, he doubled back toward my brother and stopped right in front of his bike. My brother tried to put on the brakes but couldn't avoid the dog and ran smack into him. Since the dog was acting pretty aggressively during the chase, my brother prepared for the worst. But I guess the dog got the worst of it because after the collision, he was no where to be found. My brother banged up his knee, elbow and hands but gamely got back on his bike and continued the ride.
We rode along the Ohio River for some distance and arrived at Aurora, Indiana in time for an annual festival and parade of some sort. Listening to the parade announcer, I couldn't help but think of the old Garrison Keillor show about the "News from Lake Woebegone". It was pretty funny stuff. Definitely small town.
My brother picked a great route through some beautiful Indiana farm country. We also found some pretty callenging hills. Shortly after we turned away from the river we turned onto a road called simply "Zion Hill". I'm thinking that sounds kind of ominous, to have a road named not "road" or "court" or "street" but "hill". Well, my lowest "granny" gear was almost not low enough to keep the wheels turning and the bike stable. I kid you not, it was the steepest hill I have ever tried to climb on a bike. Luckily, it was short and I didn't have to walk it. I just bore down on the pedals to keep the wheels turning.
The only place we got lost was in Dillsboro, Indiana. Dillsboro! Lost! There can't be more than half a dozen streets in all of Dillsboro, yet we were unable to find the one street out of that small number which included our route! After riding around and seeing absolutely all of Dillsboro we finally found our street and continued on to our destination.
We arrived at the pig roast after about 6 hours of riding and sight seeing. My cousin and his wife from California showed up at the roast. This was a very pleasant surprise. I think they had a great time and hope they will come next year as well. The party, as usual, was a lot of fun and the food was great!
I had hoped to publish some pictures with this post but my brother broke his camera when he hit that dog. :-(

Detours, Detours...

Well, my favorite route is being dug up! Looks like they are replacing the sewage line along one of the nicest stretches. It's a long straight-away heading right for Lake Erie. It's flat and if I have a trailing wind, I can really fly! But, it's one narrow lane now and if they are filling dump trucks there is no easy way around even on a bicycle. So, I have to use the back roads for now or take my chances with the dump trucks. What's the moral? Stay flexible and keep smilin' ;-)