Two Wheel Tuesday: Rumbler
"... Ride, ride, Rumbler ride
Leave them good old boys behind
You know them woods and they got nowhere to hide
Ride, ride, Rumbler ride ..."
Maybe it was that pine tree crashing down that spurred me to giddy-up and on out of there fast. Maybe it was the owl, startled from its roost atop a trail side fence post, that swooped in low at me, aiming for my helmeted head, as it took flight and caused me to apply a little extra push and lift to the pedals to get the heck out of the way. Maybe it was just the desire to get to the top of the hill before that other group that has been dark riding at the park lately - no way I was going to let the pedal-assisters among them summit before me - "... Leave them good old boys behind..."
But then... after a good nights sleep, during which I must have relived all that glory, I concluded that no, it must have just been normal wear and tear after all. With all the twisting a foot does to release cleat from pedal caused the bolts to naturally work loose. That's what caused the new clicking, snapping sound whenever I rumbled down some rocky slope, added a little extra play in the cleat / pedal connection, made it nearly impossible to unclip. I have long wondered, though, why they only work loose once, and then when tightened back up, they're good for life.
Truthfully, there was no risk of a maintenance crew coming along in the morning and discovering me buried under those branches and needles. I don't know when it fell across the trail, but it didn't happen as I was passing. That owl on the other hand, that was wild.
But then... after a good nights sleep, during which I must have relived all that glory, I concluded that no, it must have just been normal wear and tear after all. With all the twisting a foot does to release cleat from pedal caused the bolts to naturally work loose. That's what caused the new clicking, snapping sound whenever I rumbled down some rocky slope, added a little extra play in the cleat / pedal connection, made it nearly impossible to unclip. I have long wondered, though, why they only work loose once, and then when tightened back up, they're good for life.
Truthfully, there was no risk of a maintenance crew coming along in the morning and discovering me buried under those branches and needles. I don't know when it fell across the trail, but it didn't happen as I was passing. That owl on the other hand, that was wild.
(Rumbler; Cole Alexander, Jared Swiley, Jeff Clarke, Oakley Munson - the Black Lips)
Comments
Post a Comment