It was a dirty job, but it had to be done… Today, I scraped probably half a kilogram of mud off my bicycle, mostly accumulated during the winter months. It was about a year ago that I bought the bike, and I made around 2300 km with it so far. Nothing to write home about, I think I can do better this year.
A couple of things still need to be done:
- Chain, guides and sprockets suffered quite a bit. I'd have to
take them apart to clean them thoroughly. Which is not so much
fun when having to do it outside with near-freezing temperatures.
Perhaps the employer-sponsored bike inspection will cover it.
In any case, they work much better again. - Rims of front and rear wheels need to be swapped.
- The rear disc brake works, but not that well anymore. I hope it was just due to the wetness after the cleaning, and not oil or anything. In the latter case, I'd be in for a new rotor and pads… In any case, I am mostly using the front brake anyway, which is snappy as ever.
In other news, I installed the new clipless SPD pedals today and made a test ride. I am still a little clumsy clipping into them, but getting out again worked suprisingly well. I wonder how it will be when I have to get out of them unexpectedly (which is not unlikely considering the usual road rage around here). I adjusted the clips to be really loose, and I guess I'll keep it like that until I got used to them. The downside is that it makes them a little wobbly to the sides when riding. Perhaps I should buy a helmet…
Then again, my commute to work is not nearly as interesting
as the one from these guys: