As chances are you’ll recall, not too way back I used to be on a quest to acquire a pair of Spinergy Rev X wheels:
Additional to that submit, a reader reached out and knowledgeable me that he did actually stay within the neighborhood of the obvious vendor, and what’s extra additionally deliberate to be on the town for the 5 Boro Bike Tour, which meant he couldn’t solely buy the wheels on my behalf but additionally ship them to me personally.
Lastly, I had the white whale in my sights, and satisfaction was only a harpoon’s throw away.
Sadly, whereas like many Craigslist sellers the Spinergy purveyor was clearly an asshole, I’d didn’t have in mind one other chance, which was that he may additionally be a scammer. Sadly, the reader discovered this out the laborious method when he agreed to pay the vendor a deposit to ensure that him to ship the wheels, which as you may in all probability guess have been finally not forthcoming. Naturally the primary rule of the Web is that one ought to by no means ship cash to a stranger, however I suppose this unlucky reader was caught up within the thrill of the chase, and for stoking that furnace I blame myself–although not completely, since had he informed me beforehand the man needed cash to ship him the wheels I might have performed the Starbuck to his Ahab and informed him to desert the pursuit and return to port.
However finally that’s little greater than craven rationalization on my half. There’s no denying that I’m the Ahab on this unhappy debacle, and this well-meaning reader was only a loyal crewmember.
In the meantime, as all this was unfolding, in a twist of irony apparently one other reader traded in not one however two pairs of Spinergys (Spinergae?) to Basic Cycle, and on Friday I acquired a sizeable parcel:
There they have been, their Blades of Demise wrapped for security:
It’s an excellent factor, too, as a result of even when not spinning they are often extremely harmful to wild rodents and family pets alike:
Paul additionally included what I assumed was an automotive brake rotor till I lastly discovered it was the wheel’s formidable pie plate:
Holding the rear wheel aloft, I inspected it:
Right here’s the very last thing a squirrel sees earlier than it’s severed in half:
There was a nick in one of many machete blades:
However I’m under no circumstances anxious about it as a result of Spinergy Rev X wheels are famend for his or her structural integrity:
I’m certain it’ll be tremendous.
Along with the 2 flying crabon guillotines the bundle contained one other lethal weapon with which to switch the wobbly crank on the LeMond:
I put in it and took the bike for a experience the next day–although I wasn’t fairly able to Unleash the Spinergys. However maybe I ought to have armed myself in spite of everything, for heading over the George Washington Bridge I found they have been establishing for the Gran Fondo New York, which I all the time neglect about, and which might be happening the next day:
Route 9W was teeming with much more roadies than traditional in anticipation, so I headed deeper into the New Jersey inside:
The place I had a chance to ponder equestrian cyclocross:
Even right here there have been loads of riders:
And regardless that I used to be alone I nonetheless felt a part of the huge brotherhood of middle-aged males with beer bellies and mildly irritated individuals ready for them at residence that’s the roadie tradition.
Quickly I handed again into New York State:
The place as soon as once more I discovered myself within the very thick of it:
Till I crossed over the Tappan Zee and again to my facet of the river, the place I used to be lastly free from Fondo-Mania:
As for the LeMond, it’s working fantastically:
I not have the Litespeed to check it to, however it feels each bit as good as that bike felt, and possibly even nicer:
And the one factor I’d change about it if it have been mine are the bars:
Certainly not do they damage the bike for me or something, and I can actually stay with them, however the issue I’ve with bars which are too sculpted is that my arms don’t fairly discover their pure place as a result of the bar needs me to place them in very particular locations and at very particular angles. I’m certain if these locations occur to work completely for you then the entire fighter pilot feeling is nice, however for me I discover common bars with extra gradual bends and a constant diameter rather more comfy on longer rides:
Some individuals are smooth mattress individuals, and a few individuals are laborious mattress individuals; I suppose I’m a tough mattress particular person.
However the bars do completely match the cranks, and each match the bike:
You’ll be able to’t low cost the significance of that.
