Back to steel

*sigh*

After carrying on about "retiring" the Crown Jewel I today found myself riding the old steel bicycle again.

The last couple of days I noticed a gradually worsening noise emanating from somewhere below me (duh!) and what I eventually was able to identify as behind me. It was intermittent, only when I was coasting and I was able to make it stop by pedaling. I thought at first something was rubbing but eventually I was able to eliminate any possibility of that being true.

The more I thought about it the more some niggling bit of information I used to know kept trying to creep back into my brain. Eventually I internet searched for "howling Mavic hub". Go ahead, try it yourself.

I read the Leonard Zinn FAQ from the October 2006 Velonews. The dreaded Mavic death squeal indeed.

So I now have a part on order at County Cycles along with a recommendation that I not ride it as a possible worst case scenario was that the hub could seize up.

My first plan was to haul the FirstLOOK out of retirement (why stop riding a bicycle that is clearly my favorite bicycle ever? 20,000 miles?). However after looking through the digital log I discovered that I hung that bicycle up at the end of a 1,818 mile season after starting the season with new tires (which were never replaced). So I need new tires on that bicycle before I can ride it again. I have tires but as stated over there on the sidebar, on FirstLOOK I palp tires in an orange colorway. I happen to be completely out of tires in an orange colorway.

It was cold today, the coldest yet. Eventually the sun was strong enough to get the temperature up near 60 by the time I got home but most of the ride was in the low 50s and into a brisk north wind. Cold. I only saw about a half a dozen others out riding, a sure sign of suddenly too cold.

But it was fine. I have the gear and actually I am at least 10 degrees from the bottom end. I still have several items in the drawer including the heavy weight jersey, the balaclava and the wool mittens. Sometimes I forget how much fun it can be to be out there riding when it is too cool for most other enthusiasts.

This time of season is now arriving with a vengeance, there are going to be lots of these.

That one is in Roseville, but barely, over there at the very north edge before I cross into Arden Hills. I was out there just giving my camera a ride when the sun suddenly appeared and this tree demanded a photo.

This one is in Falcon Heights as I neared home.

TOPWLH would probably say that it was a beautiful day. I would say that it was pretty. And pretty cold.

Of course, it will be quite a bit colder way too soon.