Commute Friday 08/14/2009

No cycle commute. Pretty hot in my unairconditioned home last night and I just didn't sleep so swell. So I used the extra hour in the morning I'd use to commute to sleep. Then I drove. The other reason to drive was I knew my pals at Hiwatha Cyclery had a part they procured for me. Its a tool to help separate the "Quick Link" on a chain. Most chains don't require you to open a link using a press tool, but have a link that in theory you can break apart with ordinary tools or even your fingers. Yet once they get a little dirty it just doesn't work that way. I have tried to spray cleaning them with WD-40 (it ain't a lubricant, but it cleans reasonably okay), but I can't break the link on my Bleriot. I think it really got worse when I rode in the rain last Friday. Nothing like a little surface rust to make things tighter. At any rate Jim at HC let me know there is a nifty tool from those fine local folks at Park Tool which makes opening that link much easier.

Good Things for January 31, 2008

Thing 3, the newly minted survives the hell that is the Minnesota DMV and passes his drivers written test. Cost $10.25.