The bike is back working again 🚲

I rode into the office. I noticed when I got into the office that the emergency tire pump got left home, so I best not get any flats on the commute home, though I have a new tube and rear tire, so that reduces the risk of a flat. But there is always so much broken glass and metal trash on the roads between Erie Boulevard and I-787 where everybody throws their glass beer bottles out their car windows. I so despise things packaged in glass, not just because I can’t burn it, but because it makes such a mess wherever it breaks and recycling like so many other things is a scam but with better marketing with the greenies then plastic.

It was nice riding to work, and not taking the SuperDuty in. 🛻 I mean the SuperDuty is great for traveling, but it’s kind of big and heavy, and Water Street is such crap in Albany and it’s tight getting past all those parked cars and tight turns. And it gets like single-digit fuel economy in the city, even if I am happy enough with the fuel economy on the open road. The bike ride is so much better for my sanity. Now I’m just waiting for the truck cap, I should reach out to Ruth’s for an update at end of the week. Probably the rest of the week it’s back to busing it, as it’s going to rain. I mean I guess I could take the SuperDuty but that’s stupid as it burns a lot of soon-to-be $5 a gallon gas. At that price, if I let the tank get down to the last gallon, probably not recommended for risk to fuel pump, it would be $165 to fuel up. Granted that is well over 500 miles of gas on the highway, still that’s a big number.

Just to be safe, I plan to ride straight home tonight, and make a quick dinner and then grab the air pump and go out to Five Rivers assuming the weather is good. After fiddling a bit with quick link I got in on the bike, and a bit of adjusting – I mean bending the derailuer hanger – and no longer is the chain clicking, straining or jumping as I downshift and accelerate hard out of traffic lights. I think the stress on the chain actually caused the quick link to break off the Shram Chain I had, but I do think the quick link I got from Steiners was good. I am debating now about the junk QuickLinks crap I got from Amazon – send them back or not? The cheap QuickLinks are machined so poorly, and Mom sent me the UPS label for printing and I can drop them off tomorrow at UPS bin in the Empire Plaza. I kind of hate to reward a scam business. I know I won’t be ordering any non-brand name parts off Amazon any time soon again. I hate dealing with bike stores an the granola eating crowd, but generally what bike stores sell is quality parts, once you find out how to install them.

The Pine Hollow Arboretum was spectacular last night but not a lot of yellow flowers. Lots of reds and blues. Felt good to have the bike on the road, and after some adjustments shifting well, though once the chain came off at the stoplight. But now seeming good. Got dark quickly, kind of a bit of clouds to west in evening, plus the hollow is kind of a darker place. I was noticing the Paw Paw Tree wasn’t looking so hot, but maybe it’s been too cold to leaf out, as it’s part of the northern range. The Giant Laurel aka Rhododendron were quite spectacular though some still aren’t out in the full bloom. Got to the bank after picking up the bike part, went to Price Chopper and they had very affordable 18-pack of eggs packed in paper carton and milk as with rain coming tonight through Friday, I doubt I’ll be riding in on my bike with easy access to Hannaford in the mean time.