Houston We Have A Problem

I thought that a lot on my last two rides, hill intervals before the swim on Thursday and today with the Tribe. Tribe is our local tri store the largest and best in Phoenix.

Thursday we did hill repeats and I flatted the front on my first run to the top. At the top I fixed the flat, checking the tire to make sure I didn't have a catcus in there or something. Saw a tear on the outside of tire on the rolling surface but it did not go through. Get back to the bottom and turn around, get half way up, then pfffstt. Another flat. Walked it back. Had to buy a new $55 tire and new change out kit.

On the Saturday ride, I dealt with these things:

1. Like a little princess I didn't tighten the zip ties on my speed sensor to my fork very well and for the first half I heard the clang, clang, clang of the magnet hitting the unit. Every time I adjusted the sensor the wind would just push it in. The last half the magnet moved away from center so as I adjusted it, the speed sensor with the loose cables decided to fall off and I carried in my pocket the rest of the way.

2. My front brake was a bit loose and after each braking I had to lean over and slide the pad off the rim. It caused drag which slowed me down. Sometimes I forgot, unconsciously hit the brakes or caught dip in the road and I would travel half a klick before figured out why I was working so hard. But I had no speed sensor I could tell how fast or slow I was really going.

3. Developed a nice clack clack clack in my crank each time I pedaled. Which is irritating and I think led me to #4.

4. Ten miles out from the store my left crank arm decided to loosen up. So as my right leg went through the normal range of motion, my left decided to also move through that plain but added a large wobble to it. I thought I was going to loose the crank completely. But the clack in the crank mostly went away.

5. Because something was definitely going wrong with the crank my front deraileur decided to drop me into the small chainring. My last miles were also a high cadence event which continued to make me worry because of #4.

I made it back, limping in and the guys put the PHX up on the rack and had me back in the green in 15 minutes. A quick phone call and I met Mistress and Mighty Mo at a breakfast joint and then to Kohls for some impulse buys.

The rest of the day I am on Gods good humor.