So, after a few mishaps with my bike - Bad tires, bad brakes, broken derailleur hanger (yeah, more on that in a bit), bad knees, it seems that my cycling has finally gotten out of that little ditch and continued on.
I broke my derailleur hanger after climbing Iowa Hill in Colfax two weeks ago. Just as I was making the climb OUT of Iowa Hill into the little town, it completely snapped... and the chain went with it. Now, I don't know if it was because it was a faulty hanger and it decided to break after 3,600 miles, or if I simply had too much power on it. I broke it when I was climbing with an 11-25 cassette, so it could happen. So, after replacing the hanger and fixing all that was wrong with the damn thing (it was shifting on its own in crit practice. Awesome), and putting an 11-28 cassette, resting my knee (any pressure would make it throb like no other), I climbed Iowa Hill again. Keep in mind this is two weeks after I broke the derailleur hanger. I climbed Iowa Hill a mile per hour faster than my previous time, which is not much, but it's an improvement!
How did I get out of that mess? My boyfriend, Randy, is a fantastic mechanic and was able to make my bike into a pseudo-single speed, which allowed me to climb enough to get to my ride by Foresthill Rd. After 15 miles of climbing with the single speed, my body and mind were done. The chain had way too much tension and I had no gears, which simple wiped me out. This past weekend, however, I climbed faster than I ever have on that ride, and I will never take for granted my ability to shift on hilly rides.
I hate Iowa Hill, so I'm climbing it again on Friday if all goes well. Yeah... I hate to love that effin' hill!
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