Not So Easy Risin’

Yep, it was a helluva long time ago when I had that blowout coming down the Silver Lake Boulevard hill on The Phoenix. And then after that it took a helluva long time to get the deformed rear rim rebuilt. Well, today wasn’t the first time I’d saddled up and rode her — that reinaugural was almost two months ago for the Midnight Ridazz “All-City Toy Ride” in December… and that night I was frustrated to still find and feel that out-of-round whump-whump of the rear wheel.

It was better, but it was there. Less sensitive cyclists might have been able to pay it no mind, but as someone who likes his ride to be functioning smoothly and silently. If there’s a squeek or a chirp I quiet it quick. If there’s a shimmy or a shake I make it stop.

But instead of working the solution, I hung The Phoenix up in the garage and returned to rolling on my Giant road bike (for what little riding I did the remainder of last year as well as the first month of this one). I didn’t totally ignore her. I realized that I did the December Midnight Ridazz with the same tire that had suffered that high-speed blowout and it was probably damaged as a result. So I ordered up a new pair of shoes. And they arrived. And I installed them. Then I hung her back up in the garage. Didn’t so much as take her for an around-the-block test ride. I guess you could say I was scared to — afraid that the whump-whump might still be there waiting for me.

I decided to find out today, via the five-miles it would take me to go to and from Baller Hardware on Hyperion to pick up a seat wrench I needed for the leaky bathtub fixture handyman task I set out to do (among others) this week. And I’m pleased to report The Phoenix performed beautifully… the whump-whump is all gone and I’ll be dusting her off for tomorrow night’s Ride-Arc ride.

It’s about time.