Well, I might have been having a beer and making a phone call when I got the wild hair to take these shots at the top of Beardsley right before the sun started to set.
I think an un-cut fork with a second spacer is in my near future to perfect the fit, and I'll go back to cork bar tape I'm pretty sure, the pads and cloth tape I switched to don't measure up. If the cloth lasts longer, so what? The cork isn't that expensive and it's so much more comfortable.
I upgraded locks somewhat. I have a Wal-Mart Kryptonite U-Lock I bought on the clearance aisle back when I lived in Gardner. I figured locks just keep honest people honest, and at fifteen bucks, it was a deal.
Since hearing about some locals who lost bikes I got to thinking that while a somewhat more robust lock might not guarantee anything (a portable angle grinder and all bets are off), I'd feel like an ass if I lost the Tall Pale Hooker over saving $35.
I didn't go all the way to a 'New York Lock,' I went with an OnGuard Pitbull, slightly lighter and more locally available. Midwest Cyclery had a New York chain lock from Kryptonite, but it was three times the price and three times the weight. I don't count grams, but a fifteen pound lock is more than I want to haul around.
I still use the cheapie Kryptonite when I load the bike on my car. The Thule rack has a lock for the arm that holes the top bar, but I realized anyone could take the front and back wheels pretty easily if they were so inclined. So if I'm going to be parking anywhere along the way, I use one U-Lock to secure the front wheel to the frame, the other to do the back wheel. Someone with the right tools could just leave with the whole thing, rack and all, but I won't be a crime of opportunity.
My old line on this is lock it like you're between a methadone clinic and a pawn shop, because if the right person sees your bike, that's exactly where it is.
No comments:
Post a Comment