Giro is on, but the audio is kinda fuzzy and its raining and appearantly cold cause i dunno if i've ever seen pro cyclists this kitted up... full tights, big winter jackets... crazy.
Ride in was tender and slow, but no problems.
Hit Chrisy Todd's pad... wicked good grub good to meet Chrisy Todd's awesome mom and some other folks, bike racers and non bike racers. Hell it was less than an hour drive. Not far at all. Folks got to meet the little one who sings itsy bitsy spider...
Spent most of the rest of the weekend shopping cleaning and catching up, and laying low.
No rides. Good thing i had declined/ignored races and ride invites. I couldn't have ridden until this morning anyway.
I had written a good couple paragraphs about it. wishy washy about posting it... but maybe someone else is riding an older american classic seatpost and could benefit from the warning. Yeah. Who still rides them? I dunno, but i was and i bet others might be.
Oh part of the whole shopping trip, gotta recount that. Picked up the bike from work (no i didn't ride home on Friday), pulled up outside The Hub, Jesse (one of the owners) was outside and saw the bike minus saddle (putting the peices together yet?) and the brief conversation went along the lines of, yeah, i need a new one, got any 27.2, in say a Thompson flavor? Nope but i'll order you one and give you a loaner till it comes in. Saweet. 30 seconds or so later not even having to find a parking spot around the U on alumni weekend (impossible) i'm on the way with a loaner post (rode in on it today).
Can't fault curbside service, not to mention the OFFER of borrowing a seat post. How freaking cool is that? The difference in not going to the ER and going to the Urgent care center pays almost the cost of a new Thompson seat post!
Yeah. I broke my American Classic Seat post. Hopping on, just outside the office. Yeah. GeWilli gets on by habit all cross style. No problems if i had been clipped in or positioned on the pedals. but i wasn't.
BANG or more snap... ouch... wtf happened. Why is my sack stinging? Damn it's bleeding... shit... retreat to the office... pick up parts and bits of the bike and bolt... call ER doc on team for reccomendation... well... wound up with the director here leaving a few minutes early and dropping me off at the Urgent care to get 5 stitches. Yeah, at least it was just the skin... there are 3 layers to get through before stuff falls out and i only opened up a big hole in the first layer. Even the doc did a cringing shudder dance when he checked on how serious it was...
So there. Too good of a story not to tell, and GeWilli'd go nuts if he kept it off here... The Bactrim DS (double strength) is about as solid an anti-bacterial drug as it gets. Doc felt pretty strongly about prescribing it. Serious gastric distress the first couple days but pounding the Yogurt has helped. Been mixing 1/2-1/3 a thing of Shift with some Hawthorne Valley plain and drinking a pint or so 2x a day. They (the good bugs) may all die within a short time but they seem to be helping.
It looks like just one more obstacle preventing me from getting out for the team time trial. But then... i needed the rest/low intensity anyway... right? Peaks and Valleys. Peaks and Valleys.
Awe Hell, the Hub has a blog! Damn. Go forth and read: http://thehubprovidence.blogspot.com/
Nice old write up about Advocacy and stuff from Jack
It takes a village write up is good too... expressing the same frustration that Hurley and (iirc) What I think have expressed in the past...
ANYWAY... like was mentioned in the post on the bottom of the page there: "Welcome to the Hub! We thinks blogs are pretty creepy so naturally we wanted to get in on the action."
I think today's entry here (despite or in spite of the Hub's props) probably falls under one of the more creepy of entries.
I'll leave yall with an image that tugs at the homesick strings... Looking down Columbia ave in Seattle (yanked off the cranked background)
peace out,
G
8 comments:
Just sold a bike with an old AC seatpost. I don't think this is necessarily a defect issue though. Seatposts are like handlebars - they lead a tough life, and don't last forever. When they break, it is catastrophic. I broke a Chorus seatpost in the exact same way you did. It formed a dagger... Luckily I escaped with just a scrape on the thigh. I know someone else who broke a titanium seatpost (might have been an AC). It was about a 450 mm, because he was following the current trend and riding a 17" MTB even though traditional design would have him on a 20 or a 21.
Bottom line is that everyone tries to save weight and the component companies make stuff super light (or else nobody would buy it) and if you are buying stuff that is made for a 140 pound pro who gets new stuff twice a year, don't expect it to last 15 years under your masters ass. Aluminum stuff like bars, stems, posts, frames, and even cranks should be thrown away after a few years, or else you are taking a risk. Sad but true.
Glad it wasn't worse...
Yeah... But the messed up thing is i have broken this same bolt before.
last time it wasn't anywhere as dramatic... so this wasn't the original bolt.
That said, yes, the seat post certainly outlived it's expected life span.
I suppose now that i'm actually riding more regularly than i have in the past 10 years i should critically evaluate the bits and stuff on the rest of the bikes...
And thanks, I'm glad too... feeling very fortunate.
- Insert cross-legged cringe here - . Glad you escaped as well off as you did although I'm sure it doesn't feel well off. Good luck.
*cringe*
That Chrissy Todd has a damn fine place indeed!
Good to see you and the family. Glad your um... littlewilli is doing ok.
um... littlewilli, as you put it, was unscathed... just the nutsack, the scrotum, the skin was ripped open... bascially hooked and a big hole was ripped open...
What grade was the bolt that broke?
If it's a metric bolt it should have a number like 8.8, 10.9, or 12.9 - that signifies the tensile strength. Both hex-head and socket-head screws should be marked.
You might want to upgrade...
no markings...
i've never seen markings on Bike Bolts. TDI bolts? Yeah...
Bike bolts?
nope... but based on handling different grades i'd say bike ones are pretty tough. but no idea on the grades...
just going to upgrade the whole fucking post....
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