And with it more broken shit.
This time the crank. There was a problem with setting up the cranks on the new bike. The bottom bracket shell was wider, just a tiny bit but that spelled bad news.
I did manage to get the pin in the hole, and that's supposed to be enough for shimano. If that pin goes in the hole there's enough spline engaged to stay on.
I guess unless you're 240# and singlespeeding.
And also forgot that the cranks stay on better at 12nm than 14nm. Not sure it makes sense but it seems to be true.
And now what? The bike felt great, was riding well, not super fast and I fucked up a few lines here and there. But the brakes worked great, finally, the dropper post stayed up.
and the crank fell off.
180mm is dead and that's not good for me, I discovered that the pain I endured every fucking day starting in 2009 and not ending until January 2019 was because I compromised and put 177.5 cranks on the CX bike. On both CX bikes.
Riding the Crossrip? Even worse. 175s on there... Not only did the crossrip add to my girth and weight gain because it made getting to work both easier and faster but it underscored the problem. Granted the shorter time on that bike made a difference. under 30 minutes and it wasn't so bad, longer? yeah, not good.
So now what?
Shimano doesn't make 180s. I wish I had bought more 180 XTs while they still had them in stock.. but I didn't because that was six years ago. I don't think they even make them for the global market anymore.
And the news isn't helping my malaise. Maybe it is what is causing it.
But hey my mother finally looked at her calendar this past week and realized she will be on the east coast for my birthday, but that's the only day she can spend with her cousin on the island. But I could drive the 4+ hours there through end of summer traffic to be there if I wanted.
Maybe I should but I don't really want to for another oh btw add-on birthday. That's all that day has ever sort of seemed to be, Oh right it is G's birthday lets hastily add something to the schedule at the last minute while still being focused and absorbed in the other stuff and then make sure to cut it short because there are other things going on.
Lots of emotional baggage there, as y'all probably know. Not sure who or what's been clicking and reading all this stuff more lately, hit counter has gone up, maybe it is the aye eye...
Waves hand all around, the stuff happening out there is kind of not helping either.
It is a big week for reasons that aren't bad, it is a lot to be happening soon but it is also winding down the 'summer' and this many years of end of summer shit isn't helping. And just when I get the bike back that I really really like riding, after having a mind numbingly great road ride on Saturday the crank falls off and I'm back to being reminded...
of what... dunno...
Feeling adrift a bit, obvs...
But kind of have to kind of keep moving forward. Amor Fati motherfuckers and all that...
I think maybe I can get the crank to stay on, maybe. If I can find a metal end cap, but I'll try with a new, not stripped plastic one. Although I'm not sure where to test, short of testing in the woods. I don't think commuting with it will give it enough torque to make it fall off. I mean I put it on the last time and it stayed there for the ride out.
And the rest? It will be what it is.
At least I finally made it in for the follow up with the ENT about the neck injury. I can expect the swelling to go away in about 4 weeks or so.
fun stuff
heddwch
G
