Busy Work

The other day while up on Buffalo my wheel started making that vibration noise in the freehub body that happens when the Mavic freehub delrin bushing wears out. I've seen this little "kit" for Mavic hub bodies for a while but never bit the bullet and bought one. A new freehub costs $40+, a new bushing will run ya about $18 though. The hub bodies are bulletproof it's the small bearing and delrin bushing is what wears out in them...

I gave it some thought and then pulled the trigger on this kit. For $42.50 you get; two ceramic bearings ($40 value alone), plastic tool, loctite green, sanding papers, aluminum bushing replacement piece and a very detailed instruction sheet. I was a bit comprehensive when I read the instructions and thought "wow this is not for anyone that isn't mechanically inclined". After I finished I thought it wasn't that bad, almost anyone could do it. Instead of a yellow bushing that rides against the hub I now have a ceramic bearing that is very tight on the inner hub. Just sitting in the work stand the wheel spins longer than it used to so I'm counting on there being less friction now. The whole process took 30 minutes. I think I could do it in 20 min now that I've done one.

After riding on the wheel I cant tell any difference. It's ok though this kit is supposed to give durability and end the bushing changes I have to do every year. If you want yours just go to thehubdoctor.com and get ya one.

Every year I always like to grow my own tomatoes and peppers. Last year living in an attic apartment I had no resources to do so, this year is different. I've dug up a small spot beside the deck and planted a few roma tomatoes, banana peppers, red peppers, jalapenos and green peppers. It's not pretty but I'm not trying to get into Better Homes and Gardens magazine either. I never knew why my Dad and all these people spend so much time in the garden making them "look pretty". All I want is a few veggies, I'll pull weeds so they don't strangle my veggies but that's as far as I'm going...

I've completed my second power testing and there was improvement. I made a 6.4% gain in my power test. I'm a bigger guy so it takes more power for me to keep up with the racer types on a road bike. I have been holding my own lately in the weekly rides and I've been throwing 1000+ watt numbers in those rides too. I love all the data I get from the powertap but I'm no road racer. I hope after all this effort it pays off and I'm able to hang with the kids in this fall's collegiate mtb season. Alas the hardest thing to do may be upon me, lose some weight. I like eating what I want and when I want but to reach this goal a few pounds may have to go dammit. I just got the MTB schedule for this fall too and the places we're going I like and are my type courses. A new venue in Kentucky will have us visiting Union College this season. I hear they are new trails and I hope they're getting broke in so it's not so choppy and rough. I finished installing the yellow trail markers this week and next I have to install trail rules signs around at the entrances of any and all trails. I'll then be finished with that part. I've got 70% of all the vines, briars and weeds trimmed back so I'll be finishing that this week as well. I can really appreciate all of Ben's hard work after taking his place let me tell ya although I can't ever fill his shoes. It'll be good to see him next month when he comes back to do some work on one of the trailheads.







LAter G...................