I don’t know if I’ve ever seen this bike so clean!
If you recall what my bike looked like after the rain-soaked MoMBA XC Classic, you know that this is something of a miracle. I hosed it down to get most of the mud off, but everything on the bike was still crunchy. I turned it in to my friend and mechanic Chris Worrell, formerly of Village Cyclery, for a much-needed overhaul.
Aaron and I between trails.
The brakes were shot front and rear, the drivetrain was packed full of grit, the rear suspension linkage was sloppy, and the bike was just tired, in general. Over a couple weeks, Chris brought it back from the dead, and delivered it back to me at the MVMBA Chili Ride and annual awards day, running like the day it was new. He replaced the brake pads, flushed the fluid, rebuilt the entire rear suspension linkage, cleaned and tuned the drivetrain, and basically gave it a thorough once-over, all for a fee so low I wouldn’t feel right disclosing it.
I had the chance to try it out immediately, heading out for a lap at John Bryan with my friends Erik, Katie (not mine) and Aaron. The trails were covered nearly end to end with leaves, so pushing it up wasn’t an option, but I did get a feel for my rejuvenated bike. And it felt good. It runs smooth and quiet over the bumps, the brakes have a far more progressive feel to them, and the shifting is absolutely flawless. After spending a few weeks riding nothing but my rigid-frame bikes, it was nice to be back on full-squish, and nice to be able to ride around on dirt with some confidence, something I haven’t yet gained on my ‘cross bike.
Maybe next year…
After our leisurely lap, we headed back to the lodge for several bowls of chili and the annual awards presentation. This year has been a particularly good one for the club, with a whole lot of new members, and well-attended races that were, all but one, graced with great weather.
I missed out on a medal this year by one position, finishing fourth among the riders in the Sport class who ran enough races (4) to qualify for the championship. I’ll be giving the Sport class another go next season, while some riders will move up and out, and others will move up to Sport from Beginner. I hope, as I continue to build my fitness and skills, that next season will see me stepping on the podium with more regularity, and maybe I can even contend for the championship. Modest dreams, perhaps, but dreams nonetheless.