May 30-Jun 3 - the weekly blog ?

It's getting that way.  Perhaps I should diligently do a weekly blog ?

May 30 & 31 ?  I forget.  I know that I helped Sandy with raking and hauling leaves.  I did "stuff" on the computer. 

On June 1, early, I headed to Barrie to do the Big Chute 200k.  It's a crowd-pleasing favorite but this time we had a little bump along the way as the bridge/dam at Severn was under construction and not passable.  One rider paid someone $20 for a drive-around, the rest of us rode the 1km on the 400, following the official detour.  I'm not sure if that excuse would have pleased any OPP officer had we been spotted but there's a good wide shoulder.  In fact, I ride areas in Florida with higher speed limits and less or no shoulder.  The 400 doesn't have any "share the road" signs :).

At the tail end of the 200k I was rained upon.  I still hadn't decided on doing the 300k on Sunday but long story short, I overnighted at the Comfort Inn, saw three riders off on the 300, went to Mass close by and then went and visited with Stef, picked up some door repair items at Home Depot (for the barn) and a new jacket at MEC and headed north.

That was Sunday.

Monday was bike maintenance day.  It was time for new shifters, re-cabling, new bottom bracket and cranks and, when I finish up, re-wrapping the bars.  As I was setting up the brakes I noticed (or re-noticed) that there was a tiny bit of play in the front wheel.  I checked my old wheel and it had no play.

 On the 1200k, I had noticed that there was side-to-side play at the rim and made a mental note, quickly forgotten, to check it out after the ride.  That the tiny bit of play at the skewer of the Schmidt hub translated into 5mm play at the tire. I called up Peter White and am sending the hub back to him and, even though it's 3 months beyond the 5 year warranty, he will replace. I'm just sending the hub because it's time for a rebuild. Luckily I have my older Schmidt wheel that's still rock solid. Thanks Peter !

Had I been interested in saving the spokes, it would taken some time to remove all the nipples etc. but it's really quick with a bolt cutter !  All those half spokes and the rim are now in the garbage.  I was originally thinking that Sandy could mail from the US in July but I'll check out the mailing cost when I go into Loring.  It can't be that bad for a little 6"x6" box, but who knows.

Today it's supposed to rain so I'm planning on doing some car maintennce - more brakes.  The X5 is now in the barn awaiting my pleasure.  I'll have to use a couple of PIC coils as there were literally hundreds of mosquitoes around me (I had my bug jacket on) when I was up there yesterday.  They love the standing water pond in the area by the driveway and today's rain will only extend that.  Perhaps I should dump some bleach into that water ...

Onward !