Normally I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions, but I’ll make an exception. Since I demonstrated how to not “do it” at the Sierra Point Super Prestige race (it was for the kids), I have been trying to find time to true the front wheel I mangled in the process. Yesterday I finally made my way over to the Bike Kitchen and rediscovered one inalienable truth: a bent rim is not meant to be straight. After more than an hour of pings, creaks, and other unspeakable noises at the truing stand, eventually one of the nipples got stripped due to insane spoke tension.
So, with the opposite side of the rim flat on the floor, either this rim is not straight or I can make things levitate:
So my new plan – no flying over my handlebars with reckless abandon. I’ve put the first wheel I ever built on the cross bike (straight gauge spokes on a Deore hub to an R18 Alex rim) and I will test my skills up in Santa Rosa this weekend. If nothing else there’s the post race barbeque. Nothing like a breakfast beer with some bacon.
The Beer Gazelle 
[…] was in my first year racing. The result – a DNS. The rare abbreviation: did not start. Yeah, endo-ing in the pre-ride is pretty pro. This time around, I raced probably one of my cleanest races to date. Certainly my best single […]