Forced Upgrade...Dura Ace At Last

The timing is never good for a mechanical failure, and the end of the summer is perhaps the worst time for a teacher. Nonetheless, I had to get my latest problem resolved immediately, and fortunately the good people at Chenango Point Cycles came to my rescue and I'm back and working, with my first Dura Ace hardware to boot!

This morning I drove to Endwell, my old hometown, to take care of important familial duties at the old homestead. My plan to precede the lawn mowing with a ritualistic ride on the cycling roads of my childhood was immediately thwarted by an inability to control my front derailleur. I've been warned that contemporary Shimano shifters are near impossible to repair, so I prepared myself for the worst, which ultimately came to pass.

Finding a bike shop with the proper hardware on hand and the flexibility to do the repair while I waited was a tall order, but with the AIDS Ride for Life coming in a week, this was a necessity. While Swans likely could have taken care of my needs in time, the weekday schedule was very complicated and the risk was too great, so I headed out to Chenango Point Cycles' new location on Park Ave. in Binghamton (the web site is not yet updated). After learning that my shifter was not repairable by them, with likely damage to some of the small internal parts, I was greatly relieved to discover that they had a shifter on hand. This is one of the most expensive parts on a bike to replace and the fact that it was a Dura Ace shifter rather than an Ultegra boosted the price a bit, but it was such a relief to have this repair completed. The good folks at CPC went above and beyond, making some adjustments to my rear brakes and recommending some upgrades as well. So now I have my first Dura Ace component, and who knows, maybe I'll gradually upgrade my entire bike to Dura Ace as parts break. Reminds me a bit of that Johnny Cash song...one part at a time, though it will cost me more than a dime!

The bike mechanic was so efficient that I was able to squeeze in my ride anyway, which was a nostalgic adventure on my favorite route during my teenage years. From Endwell I cut through Highland Park to Farm to Market Road, which I took up to the airport. Then I took Knapp Rd. to Dunham Hill Rd., then returned by climbing East Maine Rd. until it met up with Farm to Market. I'll never forget the time my friend Ted and I returned from a trip to the Airport on Farm to Market and we had an unfortunate encounter with an angry dog. Ted was ahead of me, and after he yelled at the chasing dog, the old hound took a chunk out of my leg! My mom was in the hospital that day getting minor surgery, so we ended up reuniting sooner than either of us thought.

No canine incidents today, just some great climbing. Though I had no stats to compare with, I'm pretty happy with my ride today, and can't wait to return for more riding in these beautiful rolling hills, which are similarly challenging to my favorite terrain in the greater Ithaca area. I ended up averaging 19.4 mph on this 25 mile ride with 2100 ft. of climbing.