"Stop Everything"

There's something wrong with my bike!!

Today was of course a recovery day, but active recovery and so I swam about 1000 metres, and then went out for an hour bike ride this afternoon. About halfway out I starting hearing an unpleasant clicking noise. I had heard it once before last week some time but only briefly and not again. At first I thought maybe it was my speedometer magnet making contact with the sensor but I quickly realized that the frequency was in time with my pedalling, not with the front wheel where the sensor is mounted. Then I thought maybe it was one of my cleats coming loose again, but that quickly proved not to be the case. That's when I started worrying about the bottom bracket. I actually stopped a couple of times and eventually managed to confirm that that was clearly where the problem was. I nursed it gently back home and had a quick look at what could be done. It was quickly clear that I did not have the tools necessary to even inspect the problem. So to the phone. I tried several of the well known shops who either made no commitment or something to the tune of 3 to 4 days before they could even look at it. I was starting to panic and was at the point of calling the place in Toronto where I bought it, when I remembered a very small place that I had stumbled across a few weeks ago. Once I told the guy my sob story he said "bring it in now and I'll have a quick look". It was almost 5 pm by then and they were due to close at 6. I was almost embarrassed to take it in because it was so filthy dirty, but I had no time to clean it so off I went. Sure enough as soon as I got there, I got shit from the guy, but also as promised he put it on the stand and in 15 minutes he had the problem diagnosed and resolved. Twenty bucks and another lecture later I was out of there. I still need to confirm everything with a ride but I'm pretty sure its good now. Pheww!

Of course as soon as I got home and had some supper I set to cleaning the Q-ROO. Claudette was out for the evening so I did it in the living room....don't tell her...

I wish to dedicate day 236 to Paul Dean, proprietor and head mechanic of Cycle London. Thanks Paul

....and I think she must have better tools than me...
"I relax by taking my bicycle apart and putting it back together again."---Michelle Pfeiffer

love
peter