Life is a daring adventure or nothing.   Helen Keller

Interesting past months.  Have not been on my bicycle since October riding into Washington D.C. in the mud.  Not that I have not done some sort of exercise, but biking has not happened.  Numerous excuses.  Pick one.

Hence it is time, and I began working on bikes.  First the fat tire bike which I loaned to a friend to ride but in getting it ready had a hard time adjusting the front derailleur.  Just could not get it to shift right.  Ok ignore it fix it when it came back.  Thus I started there.  Oh my gosh.  Embarassing!

Took the crank out and oh my! Seems I did not clean it thoroughly after riding the beach a few years ago. Some friend and I had ridden 70 miles (about 100K) from clam gulch to Homer over two days. Sand and salt water. Plus there were several creek crossings, which one I thought was 6″ deep (about 15 cm) but it was 6 feet (about 2 mete). Fat bikes float, but I and the bike got drug along the gravel for a bit.

 

I would say it had not been cleaned enough and has been well used. New crank chain rings, cluster, chain and basically a new drive train. Going 1x 10 getting rid of front derailleur.

Then the karate monkey a 29er I have for cruising about town. Just some cleaning adjusting and making it shine. Then Jeanne’s El Mariachi also a 29er which she took back east last fall. Needed put back together, bearings cleaned, brakes needed clear of air and gunk in the hydraulic lines. New cassette, chain, chain rings clean the derailleur.

Then the past weekend it was time to get out of Anchorage, as have either been visiting, or had visitors and been going hard, so we took a day and drove to Talkeetna, a quaint Alaska town overrun by tourists.

 

We took the two 29er bikes and rode out of town on a delightful bike path. Oh my gosh. I forgot how much fun biking is, especially when the bikes are purring. Everything just flowed (well the motor was a bit off) what a treat!

I remembered how much fun bicycling is.