the ride was worth the wait

back to the 75 raleigh.

the part came in, and after careful consideration, i decided i'd rebuild the wheel around the new hub. after hours of google web searches, i thought i was ready...or was so confused that i just didn't know any better. regardless, i had two days ahead of me to get this thing rebuilt, and it was on.

upon doing one last read, i decided i'd do both wheels. the first, i'd pay for to have done professionally. the second, i'd do on my own. i got to performance bike in alpharetta about 15 minutes prior to opening...just me, two wheels, an empty parking lot, and a dream.

the mechanic got in around 10:15. he took my order. then he put the rear wheel up on a truing stand. *spins*

"bro, i could do this for you, but i think you're making a big mistake. this is a 40 year old wheel and it's still perfectly true with original equipment...you don't see this anymore. why do you want new spokes again?"

"well, the shifting rod is snapped off inside the original. so i need to replace the hub anyway... and i wanted to go with flashier spokes," i said.

"alright, bro. $70 per wheel, $2 per spoke...how many is it? right... $142 to replace the hub. or, i could do this..." he said.

somehow, magically, he's removed the bad part off the existing hub and the good part off the new hub and transferred the two. wha-lah. done.

"ummm...how'd you do that? i've been digging through manuals for weeks," i said.  apparently, when you've worked on bikes for decades (i've only got a couple years), you pick up a few tricks here and there.

i got it home, replaced the tubes, and adjusted it for it's maiden ride. un-be-leive-ab-le, folks. i'm not saying this was the best ride, but to be sitting up, looking around, and seeing the sights versus canted down and looking straight ahead? i'll definitely be taking this baby out on the weekends.

it's not fast. it's not light. but man, it is a way to enjoy a slow saturday. kinda like brunch, i guess.

so, when's the last time you looked forward to a ride?

until next time, happy riding.

OMB

"I thought of that while riding my bike." ~ Albert Einstein