Day 536 | At Mary's: getting that old bike ready

rest day

With a few days up my sleeve I finally think I need to do some work on the bike.

Lucky I started so soon, there’s been the odd hiccup.

The chain has been the more serious issue in the last months, skipping on the middle chain ring in recent time, you get to the point in the Big City when you need sudden acceleration, say at the lights, turning across traffic and when I stand on the pedal the chain stays still as the crank rotates, I’m risking castration following by flattening by some large vehicle, might be the former which is more concerning.

Time for a new chainring.

At the first bikeshop, large and will rename nameless, the staff scurry about and can find a solitary example, an XT, $65. There’s carbon fibre there you know, it’s better than anything else, but I’m not positive about the size needed, is my existing one a 32 or do I need a 36?

The second shop had a wall full of them, 32s and 36s, plus a range of grannies and big rings.

I need the 32. Cost: $20 for a Deore, a better proposition for a bash it about bike tourer than the flimsy XT, in my opinion. I’ll take it.

When I get to install it there’s a couple of issues, the pedal’s stuck, which way is the thread there again, and somehow, I deny responsibility, one of the Allen key nuts is stripped and I have to drill it out. I snap the only drill bit, a diversion to the local Bunnings hacks more hours out of the day.

Doing the replacement myself means at least I can align the rings correctly, the 1 in 4 chance wasn’t good enough odds for the bike shop in Alice.

Then I just needed to go back and get another bolt for holding the chain rings all together but after the trip into town when I try to fit it in the hole it ain’t going, even encoragement with a hammer makes no difference, in fact on inspection the bolt needs a 4mm Allen key, the others use a 3mm. The packet says it’s for the 5 sprocket crank not my 4 so I head back into town to get the right size bolt, I’m scratching my head over this, and then for the first time in years show some embarrassment when the bloke in the you beaut bike shop slot my bolt in and tighten as I stand by.

Seems they are well used to total mechanical incompetence from their customers.

I gotta give the guys in Elliots Bike Shop in Rundle Street a plug, they have a huge supply of obscure spares, sensible prices, and a decent sense of humour.