Doubt. It speaks in whispered tones but echoes in our actions and lingers heavy on the mind. It is a thing that weaves itself into the seeds of our dreams and erodes vision into whim. Doubt leads to uncertainty; uncertainty to fear; fear prevents us from reaching as high as we might.
Doubt is a clingy thing. Like a snowball dropped down a mountainside in a cartoon, it starts small but grows upon its own weight. It continues to collect more doubt until finally it crushes any positive thought. Doubt is the fundamental element of the Anti-V.
As Cyclists, our morale rests on a knife’s edge where the slightest drop of grace can send us into the waiting arms of La Volupté while even the smallest grain of doubt can draw us to the cold anvil of her husband, the Man with the Hammer. Little things such as a freshly wrapped set of bars or a recently cleaned and silenced drivetrain can send morale skyrocketing, even in otherwise atrocious conditions. An elusive click or creak, on the other hand, can coax squares from even the most magnificent of strokes.
Clicks, creaks, or a misfiring drivetrain are guaranteed to send me into a tailspin of frustration and doubt; if my machine disobeys the Principle of Silence or malfunctions, I am sure to face a dismal day on the bike. Clean kit and freshly shaven guns, particularly when the guns are glistening with sweat or rain, is for me one of the greatest sources of form and good morale. To see the muscles moving under the smooth, tanned skin as they strain with effort instantly sends away any lingering doubt and leaves only optimism and drive, my conditioning and training cease to hold sway over my desire and willingness to suffer. And when we are willing to suffer, we can do anything.
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@PeakInTwoYears
Contaminated pads is probably the issue. I would have thought that the simple act of apply the brakes would eventually clean everything up, but I guess not. Thanks for the advice.
@CanuckChuck
I just got back into the mtb world and had to get educated about this the expensive way. Nobody told me up front, but it looks to me like the only substances that should ever touch pads or rotors are water, dirt, water mixed with dirt, or isopropyl alcohol. Or your surgical-gloved hands.
If you really don't feel like buying new pads, and the current ones have some thickness left to them, I'd definitely give the resurfacing a try. It takes a bit of time, but it might work. It worked on one set that came on my used bike.
@PeakInTwoYears
This is a very good reason why disc brakes have no place on road bikes in the future. Was reading in Cyclist this week about hydraulic versions of normal rim brakes...this is still heresy in the same way as electronic shifting is, but if it must be done then at least leave the brakes on the rims and avoid those dinner plates on the hubs!
@the Engine
Oh yes take it very easy, 10 days is a nice gift.
@itburns
Yes - it was just a metaphor
@Jay
Really? Maybe Scott Martin stole it, but I've always seen it credited to Gary Klein.
@Deakus
Hydraulic disc brakes are awesomely awesome on mtb's. Well worth the time and expense.
No reason to want them on a road bike. Tits on a boar.
@frahnk, can you give me the skinny on your superleggere w/set. I've checked the CR site which doesn't say much apart from their weight; 900g. Do they use their Richter hubs or a custom version? Are your Veloflex the Extreme or Carbon's and what are they like on normal roads?
@PeakInTwoYears
Totally awesomely awesome indeed!
I'm going to disagree on this one. Granted, wheel changes are trickier with disc wheels and until they (you know, those guys) figure out a way to make wheel changes as quick as with rim brakes, discs will not gain acceptance in the peloton. But I'll take the all weather braking power and not needing to swap brake pads for running carbon and alu rims. Not that I own any carbon wheels...
As they used to say in the olden days of the interwebs, flame suit on.