2022 mileage: 2700.6
Today was a disastrous day for riding. I began at 10:00 a.m. in pleasantly warm 66° conditions, but thick humidity that slapped me like a punch when I stepped out into it.
I decided to ride the Packard/Platt square, and it started fine ... but just beyond the 777 Building, when I was descending the big hill where the road crosses over a railroad track, I picked up enough speed to cause slack in the chain that allowed it somehow to wrap around the pedal crank, creating a terrible mess.
I tried tor a while to straighten it out, but it was beyond me, and my efforts were wholly unsuccessful. I texted Michelle, who was still at home, having no school today as part of the extended holiday weekend. She came and picked me up, and we put the rack on the car and went back and got the trike. Once we got home, we tried for 10 minutes or so to straighten it out, but it was beyond our combined abilities. I told her, "Let me contact Dan (my friend Dan Cogan, who has so often assisted me with mechanical trike issues)—he seems to be almost a specialist in untangling chain issues."
Dan was able to come help me, and at first he was inclined to say, "Oh, Allen, this isn't so bad." However, a short ways into it, he had changed his mind, and decided that I had a real big mess. He worked on it for a while as Michelle and I had, trying to leave the chain intact, but finally determined that it wouldn't work. He pointed out to me that the chain has a "quick link" that allows it to be taken apart, and asked me if I wanted him to try that. I quickly assented, thinking that I had neither the tools nor the knowledge to do it myself. He soon had it unlinked, and was able to unwrap the chain from the crank and then refasten the chain. He demurred modestly, "I'm not very good with chains, especially getting them back together." YOU COULD HAVE FOOLED ME, DAN!
While he was still there, I did a short test ride to be sure everything was OK for the long holiday weekend, but it was just fine. Though I feel as if I should go out and ride this afternoon, the drive has been sucked out me by this episode, and it's only continued to get warmer, so -- TOMORROW!
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