holdin down the road
For the past two weeks, or whenever it was that I fixed the front derailleur, I have been using the Pilot as my weekly trainer and have taken the Madone out for big, team weekend rides. Well, the Pilot’s rear derailleur has felt awkward in shifting for the past week or so, missing shifts all the time or just not responding when I use the shifter.
Tonight, all of a sudden the rear derailleur wouldn’t respond. I pulled over and looked at it, tried clicking the shifter but it had seized, or something. My mechanical mind began breaking the issue down, searching from the last leg of the derailleur trail - the motion of the rear derailleur spring - and then moving up to the cable which felt fine and then reaching the shifter itself. I opened the shifter cover and something looked… different. Assuming that the cable had broken, I pulled the cable lightly to check and there was, in fact, some resistance. Hmm, some resistance there. Then, I tugged on the front housing and it came right out of the shifter.
The cable had actually broken and the front piece had somehow disappeared when I went to open the shifter. The cable was snug because it had frayed and was stuck on the housing as the taut cable had begun to eject itself. Unfortunately, when your rear derailleur cable goes out, you have just one choice of rear gear since the spring wants to pull all the way out - the highest cog is how you better plan on riding home.
This cog is generally intended for high speed, or, is always intended for high speed. Now, I had a few flat stretches left to go before I made it home, but I was at the lowest part of my ride. Luckily, I had my choice of a 1.8 mile superclimb or a 2.6 mile heavyclimb. I took the 1.8 to get it over with.
I guess everything worked out. I’m terrible at low cadence riding so the experience was serious training when I was only looking for a light Friday ride. I realize this entry means little to those not seriously interested in bicycle maintenance. Apologies.
Sunday’s ride is going to be Epic and high speed. I think this may be a challenge.
November 2nd, 2007 at 7:20 pm
“my mechanical mind…”
that bit made me laugh
November 13th, 2007 at 1:23 am
Don’t ride different bikes all the time. Even if the position is exact. Which I doubt it is. And even if you think it is, it probably isn’t. And even if you really really think its the same, I’m still skeptical.
Oh and take a rest day too. And don’t try to lose weight.