Bike Fixed Up

I got my mongoose back from Sunflower yesterday. They put a new front wheel on it, a new chain and a new set of cogs on the back. The bearings had worn into the axle and it was cheaper to get a new wheel than to have them fix the old one. They looked the rest of the bike over, cleaned it up and determined that the chain had stretched a bit and that the 4th and 5th cogs were pretty worn out.

I also mentioned that the rear brake was a bit squishy; it didn't seem to grip as well as the front. They determined that the collar around right-rear canti was cracked. It still worked but the spring inside was flexing out of alignment because the collar was no longer keeping it in line.

All told, it was about $100, which includes a new bottle of chain lube. The bike shifts MUCH better; it had been getting hard to get it into a couple of the gears. I was flexing the shifter beyond the index mark. They usually stayed in gear, but the 4th and 5th gears had also been slipping a bit.

It was good to have it looked over. They made a couple of comments about how good the frame of the Mongoose Hilltopper was back then. (I've seen posts on some forums that they are worth picking up if you find one at a yard sale.)

I did have some problems while riding in this morning. While it shifted well, it still seemed to skip around about between 4th, 5th and 6th gear. I took it back over my lunch break and they said to give it a couple of days. With a new chain and rear cogs, it needs to break-in a bit. I didn't have any skipping on the way over to Sunflower at lunch or on the way home. So we'll see how it goes. He did tell me to bring it in again if it is still going on tomorrow. And to bring it in next week to check the wheel after a few rides.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with Sunflower. The service guys know their stuff and I didn't feel uncomfortable dealing with them at all. While I am out $100, it has been 13 years and I am using it quite a bit.

Will I Ever Be Warm Again

Holy crap. COLD.

I wore the full ski jacket with liner. So my upper body was all right going to and coming from work. The hands were fine as well. My head was warm for the most part, but the balaclava was pushing down into my eyes...

The legs were fine, but the feet were a little chilled. I wore heavy socks and I think my feet sweat a little and the the wind and general sub-zero temps did their work. I'll probably go back to mid-weight socks tomorrow.

90 miles.

Cold, Cold, Cold

But I was fairly warm. The balaclava keeps the head pretty toasty, especially with the hood up on the ski jacket.

I also ditched my regular winter gloves for a combo of my 'waterproof' gloves and some gaudy thick fleece gloves that I've had for a while. These are my Bruins gloves that I got for Christmas a few years back. The thumb, index and pinky are each bright yellow, and the middle and ring fingers are black. They are very bright and don't really go with my red, graphite and white jacket.

But this isn't a fashion show and tomorrow the effective temperature will be -11 when I leave the house. I may add thicker socks as even with the mid-weight ones I was feeling the cold a bit this afternoon.

The only other area that was at all cold was my nose, which I have to keep out of the balaclava so that the lenses of my glasses don't fog up. I'll be looking for cheap ski goggles this spring...

Bolt Lost

Somewhere on the way to work I lost a bolt off the bike rack. And, somehow I didn't notice it this morning. I realized it was gone before leaving work. I made it home okay and happened to have a couple of extras. I tightened everything up and will check things a bit more often now...

C H I L L Y

This morning's ride was a bit colder than yesterday. I didn't feel at all weird riding with the hood up. It really helps to keep heat in and, this morning, I needed it.

I wore the mostly the same set-up as yesterday. I did not wear the rain-pants, but will consider them for the rest of this week. The warm-ups that I normally wear are lined with mesh instead of cloth. They have worked well, but I think the extra wind-blocking layer of the rain pants may help.

I also switched out the thinner, water-proof gloves for my winter gloves. My hands were still cold.

The cheap, clear-protective glasses that I got at Walmart fogged up a bit. I usually leave my nose exposed so I can breathe without fogging them up. It was a little TOO cold for that, so I covered it up and promptly fogged my glasses all to hell. I ended up trying to ride that way for a bit and had drifted into the lane a little too much. Luckily, the driver behind me was paying attention. I rode nose-out the rest of the way.

Since posting the trunk-bag review over the weekend, I've been able to use the rain-cover in fully-deployed mode and just on the trunk. The ride in yesterday with a full load of notebook, clothes, towel and food supplies stretched the limits of the rain cover. It fit very well, with room left-over on the top, but took a bit of stretching to fit it around the top fully loaded panniers. The bottom of the panniers fit easily. The ride home was much lighter, as I opted to leave the notebook. I was able to fit my work clothes and lunch containers in the trunk. This made fitting the rain cover much easier.

Of course I didn't see a drop of rain going to work or coming home. But it would have poured from a clear sky if I hadn't used the rain cover.

I got up a little earlier today and made it to work right around 8. This gives me plenty of time to shower and get clocked in before 8:30. For the last week or so, I've been cutting it pretty close. Getting my gear ready the night before and getting in the saddle at 7:30 is the key, I think.

Topeak MTX Trunk Bag DXP

From Bike Pics

After having used the Topeak MTX Trunk Bag DXP for a week, I've been able to come to some conclusions about using it vs. using a backpack.

The bag holds everything I would normally carry to work, but it probably won't hold as much as I ˆcouldˆ put in my backpack (which is, admittedly, large). That said, I haven't quite found the limits of the trunk bag yet, so we'll have to see how things go. A typical load for me:

Work clothes. (Pants, t-shirt, socks, boxers, button-down shirt; I leave shoes and a belt at work)
Lunch. (Sandwich, fruit, chips)
Laptop. (15" MacBook Pro in a neoprene sleeve.)
U-lock (w/ cable) and tools.
Towel (Monday morning, Friday evening)

Clothes go in one pannier and the laptop in another. Lunch and tools in the trunk, and the U-Lock on top of the bag. The weight of all this stuff on the bike changes how the bike handles. It feels MUCH heavier on the back end. This is just something to get used to; I'm betting that this summer, when it's 100+ degrees, I'll be glad not to have all that weight on my BACK. I really only notice this when stopping and starting, and it has more to do with balance than anything else.

The bag does seem to be very durable. I've stuffed the panniers full and squeezed the zippers together to get them closed and the bag really didn't flinch. The expandable trunk is pretty helpful; I've already used it a couple of times. However, The bungees on top are not your friends. Use them with care; I already lost my cable lock that I had stored under the bungees. (I did find the lock... after I bought a new one.)

Another thing I didn't expect was that the bag does slow me down a bit when getting on and off the bike. This surprised me, as I got this bag because of the MTX system. Slide the bag onto the rack 'til it clicks and away you go. This is true if you are just using the trunk. If you are using the side panniers, you also should secure the bottom of the panniers to the rack using the built-in bungee. This seems trivial, but is another step you have to perform (twice) when you arrive at your destination. Again, not a biggie, but you also aren't just locking your bike and walking away, as you would with a backpack.

From Bike Pics

From Bike Pics

The only thing I do not like about the DXP is the included shoulder strap. It just isn't long enough. Even fully extended, the bag hangs well above my waist. (And I'm not a tall guy.) So I switched it out for the strap from a satchel that I had been using for my laptop. This is more comfortable, especially when the panniers are full.

The reflective stripes on the bag work well; combined with the reflective side-walls on my tires, it would be hard not to notice me even without the lights I use. I'm using the brake light mount on the bag, rather than the rack, as the bag always goes with me.

All-in-all, I'm pretty happy with the DXP. It does what I need it to do, and seems to handle it well, despite the quirks I've mentioned.

Another Cold Ride

Temps were pretty frosty again this morning. I felt pretty good with my current set-up; Wind pants (or warm-ups, or whatevah you call 'em out heah), polyester long sleeve mock-t, cotton long-sleeve mock-t, long sleeve shirt and my water-proof windbreaker. I also wear regular weight socks and my hiking boots along with the fleece balaclava. Add in my old shelled fleece gloves and I've been very comfortable.

Saw an old friend of mine on the ride in this morning. I said hello, but I'm not sure that he recognized me under my balaclava. This is the second or third time I've seen him on my ride, going the opposite direction. I see five or six other people riding every morning, and this is in the winter. It will be interesting to see how this spring and summer shapes up.

The trunk bag is working out well. It takes a little longer to get off the bike when using the panniers. Mostly, it is just getting down and unhooking the cords that keep the panniers from flopping about while riding. But I'm getting used to it. We'll see how I feel about it when it is pouring rain...

36 miles after the ride home.