Tuesday, July 31, 2007

RIP: GT zr 4000

Yesterday's ride was likely the last for the GT.

What prompted a visit to the Trek store was a problem with the rear shifter. The indexing stripped during a ride yesterday, rendering the entire rear shifting mechanism worthless. My triple-eight had effectively become a three speed: 53-42-30 chain rings. Hoping for the best, expecting the worst, I dropped if off at the shop last night.

The phone rang like a death knell this morning. At the other end, the bike mechanic is yelling in my ear, "Dude, you rode the piss out of this thing!"

Apparently, not only is the rear shifter hosed, but the chain is stretched beyond the capability of measurement and the teeth are stripped on the triple chain rings and cassette.

At first, I was proud of what my beastly side had accomplished. And then depression set in.

It was a nice bike! It was a joy to ride and it was cheerfully yellow. It brought me many places that I never dreamt of before. Well, Louisville, Nebraska is not much of a place to dream of, but it still got me there and back. And man, what a heroic sacrifice it made for me during its last race two days ago!

"Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak, Whispers the o'er-fraught heart and bids it break." -- Shakespeare's Macbeth

Oh! The loss...the agony!! ***Gnashing-teeth sound***

I shall miss you, GT. Rest in Peace.

3 comments:

  1. when you get your new rig, you'll only feel sad when you see the GT swinging gently on the garage hooks.

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  2. Hold the phone Brady. All you need is Munson and some duct tape. Munson can do anything with enough duct tape.

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  3. LLLLlllllllllaaaate response: yes I can. I'm the ultimate purveyor of ghetto fix up solutions. It will work, or yes it will.

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