My First Mechanical Breakdown

After 7000 miles and two and half years of riding it finally happened - my first mechanical. To top it off I was riding alone. I was coming back from Furnace Hill and was about 20 miles from home when - pow! - the chain gets sucked into the spokes. I stopped right away to investigate the problem. The jockey wheel on the derailleur had worked loose at the same moment I shifted throwing the chain into the spokes.

The wheel, derailleur, and chain are fine. However I lost the bushing cover to the jockey wheel, making a roadside fix impossible. So, 20 miles from home I had to call the SAG Wagon (aka the great Jim Thome). Now comes hard part of finding a bushing cover to fit the wheel (this part is not a commonly stocked part). Shirk's bike shop in East Earl should have one, as he always has odd parts lying around.

It's a real shame that it happened on this particular ride. I was feeling strong and had a tailwind after fighting the wind for close to 30 miles. The part of the ride I had to bail on is also my favorite section of road on that route. On the flip side, however, I did at least get to ride Furnace Hill and got in 40 miles (the longest ride of the year so far). This coming Saturday I intend to go back to Furnace Hill and finish the ride (not alone this time) for the full 60 miles. I think Furnace Hill has it out for me. Last time I went out there alone, I discovered all of my chainring screws were loose!

Thanks for reading!
Captain Crunch