The past few weeks have been more about trying to survive the opressive uncharacteristic heat than much else. Although I did manage to get out on a group ride, this one starting in Iowa City, and held as a benefit ride for an all-ability sports organization. I had expected a quiet trail ride, but at some point a shortcut was taken that had us biking along an extremely busy 55mph road. Yikes. Well we managed to survive that, and made good progress the rest of the way on the trail to North Liberty and suprise, a drinking establishment. There was conversation, beer, and fried food. On the way back I took a detour that avoided the same stretch of dangerous road and stayed on the trail. And that was the last I saw of my fellow riders, who continued on. My detour led through a nice natural preserve and then through an adjoining subdivision with some absolutely fearsome hills to climb.
I spent some time fussing with the flying Pigeon, decided to lower the gearing, by putting on a new freewheel sprocket. Wikipedia says the PA02 Pigeon has a 20 tooth rear sprocket. After a protracted session of advanced cursing and manipulations with a pipe wrench- and getting ball bearings scattered over the livingroom floor, I suceeded in removing the stock freewheel... and counting the teeth... It was an 18 tooth! I replaced it with a quality 22 tooth BMX freewheel, then spent the next two evening sessions learning how to join and dejoin chain. Eventually I got everything back together, and suprisingly the case's chain rub was gone! And the 22 tooth sprocket fit fine in the chain case! I managed to fully enclose the case with a few new screws that replaced loose, poorly fitting stock screws. Dropping the gearing about 12 inches makes it so much easier to pedal along. More soon!
