Barricades and Bike Noises

I've been back into the "new" routine this week, although not without a few little modifications.  After a much-needed recovery ride on Monday I drove out to meet the Tuesday levee ride for the 6:15 am start.  The Corps recently put up a barricade/gate on the levee bike path a bit upriver from the Huey P. Long bridge, so now I have to drive another half-mile to park on Plantation on the side of the PraxAir shop.  On the plus side, it's on the west side of the building and hence in the shade when I return.  The Tuesday ride was fairly uneventful, averaging twenty-two and a half mph and never getting much over 28.  I wasn't feeling too frisky, so it seemed quite a sufficient workout from my perspective. Since I've been on home-health duty for a cat down on Tchoupitoulas Street my morning routine has been a bit more rushed and I've mostly been taking the car rather than riding, mainly so I'm not too late, and sweaty, getting to work.

WeMoRi - City Park Avenue.
Apparently I didn't get the memo about the photographer.

So my new Wednesday morning routine involves rolling out from home at 5:45 to ride out to the lakefront to meet the WeMoRi ride, which also starts at 5:45.  For now it's light enough that I just use a rear blinky light on the way out, and I could probably get away without that.  Of course that won't last very long, and when this hemisphere starts tilting more I may be re-thinking that particular ride.  Anyway, I made good time on the way out there and was all the way out by the "swim hole" on Lakeshore Drive before I saw the group coming.  There were a few guys off the front who I didn't try to go after, but then a few more came by in chase mode so I latched onto one of them at around 28 mph.  The front group eased up a little later and everything came back together.  Things eventually ramped up to 31 mph for the lead-up to the overpass where there is apparently a sprint.  Then there's another sprint halfway down City Park Avenue where Woody came past the whole group on the left about 3 mph faster than the 30 mph we were already going. The last sprint was just before getting back to Robt. E. Lee Blvd., and that one topped out at about 31 mph.  I haven't really been contesting these little sprints but I'm starting to figure out that a number of riders seem to focus on those.  Anyway, it was a nice ride back home with 30 miles in the log and then a rush to clean up and get to work.  I guess I'll drive out to the levee ride again tomorrow, but I am really hating all this driving in the morning.  It beats getting run over by impatient morning commuters and truck drivers on River Road, but riding out to the levee in the morning used to be so relaxing and took only five minutes.

For the past few weeks, ever since I changed out the headset bearings on the Bianchi, I've been getting this pop or crack sound kind of randomly when I stand or put a lot of pressure on the pedals. Since it started immediately after I'd done the headset work I assumed it must be that the bearing wasn't seating well, so I twice removed, cleaned and replaced it.  It didn't go away, so Monday evening I turned the bike upside down so it was resting on the saddle and rear wheel, and put my weight on the pedal.  Yep, the problem is with the bottom bracket or crankset (which nowadays are basically the same thing).  I haven't had time yet, but I guess I'll have to take that apart and clean it all up.  Hopefully the bearings aren't a pile of rust like they were the last time, which was less than a year ago.  Never had these problems in the old days!

Today the surplus furniture (a couple of desks, a work bench, a bookcase, and a few old desk chairs) got moved into the Tulane Cycling Center suite as planned.  Then, around mid-afternoon, I got a call from the Receiving Department saying that the driver of the semi who was delivering the WattBikes (about 800 pounds worth) didn't find anyone at the suite, and was at Receiving.  I doubt he really checked for anyone since I had a note and my card taped to the door, but anyway he wasn't going to move the bikes into the room anyway, apparently, despite the fact that the company we bought them from asked for all kinds of information about loading ramps, hallway widths, etc., and I had sent them all of that information plus photographs and my contact information.  So apparently the driver just dropped off the pallet at Receiving, which is about a mile down the road, and now Receiving will have to get a work order for Facilities Management to deliver them to the suite here at University Square.  When, I don't know, but at least they are getting closer. Two steps forward, one step back.....