Off The Wagon.
I'd been good for the last four or five days. I went to the meetings, made lists of all I was thankful for, and tried to occupy myself with meaningful pursuits. But then I couldn't restrain my urges any longer.
I got back on eBay.
The first time was for new (to me) pedals. I usually stay away from top-tier components, because they typically cost twice as much as the next tier down and last half as long. So, I had Shimano 105 pedals on most of my bikes and a set of Ultegras as my extra-special set. They pretty much worked as advertised, and I abused the crap out of them.
Then I bought my first set of Dura Ace pedals. These were the 7800 models. Actually, they were thrown in with my Madone 5.2 Pro frame, so I didn't actually buy them. The plastic inserts were worn, but $10 later they were as good as new (and pre-scuffed for extra street cred). They clipped in a lot easier, so I slapped them on my race bike. They actually had an advantage over the lower-tier pedals, in they had an extra bearing and spun a lot better. For a grand total of $10, I was a convert.
However, I've been having issues with my Shimano 105 and Ultegra pedals recently. I'd clean and lubricate them, and they'd work well for a while, but eventually they reverted to their own idiosyncratic set of creaks and clicks. That didn't bother me so much, but constantly fumbling to clip in was starting to get old.
I went looking for replacements, and found slightly used Dura Ace 7810 pedals for a good price. These did away with the plastic inserts, which was the only thing I dislike about the 7800s. I bought two sets, and suddenly clipping into the 5.2 Pro and ti bike was almost effortless. I'm probably going to replace all of my old pedals now, if the right deal comes across my screen. The old pedals will be cleaned, lubricated and then go in the parts bin for bikes I'm selling. From now on only the best for my rides.
I also picked up a set of Force brakes for my crit bike, which has been laying in a heap on a pile of boxes in the garage ever since I stole its brakes for the race bike. Every time I tripped by its mangled carcass I promised myself I was going to fix it, and I finally got around to obtaining the parts to accomplish this. Maybe it will see the road before the end of the season. Maybe not.
I also bought another set of carbon handlebars that were too cheap to pass up. Just as my PayPal transaction was completing, my kids drained the last bit of bandwidth from my internet plan. I was this close to picking up a box of 100 derailleur cables.
Maybe next month.
I got back on eBay.
The first time was for new (to me) pedals. I usually stay away from top-tier components, because they typically cost twice as much as the next tier down and last half as long. So, I had Shimano 105 pedals on most of my bikes and a set of Ultegras as my extra-special set. They pretty much worked as advertised, and I abused the crap out of them.
Then I bought my first set of Dura Ace pedals. These were the 7800 models. Actually, they were thrown in with my Madone 5.2 Pro frame, so I didn't actually buy them. The plastic inserts were worn, but $10 later they were as good as new (and pre-scuffed for extra street cred). They clipped in a lot easier, so I slapped them on my race bike. They actually had an advantage over the lower-tier pedals, in they had an extra bearing and spun a lot better. For a grand total of $10, I was a convert.
However, I've been having issues with my Shimano 105 and Ultegra pedals recently. I'd clean and lubricate them, and they'd work well for a while, but eventually they reverted to their own idiosyncratic set of creaks and clicks. That didn't bother me so much, but constantly fumbling to clip in was starting to get old.
I went looking for replacements, and found slightly used Dura Ace 7810 pedals for a good price. These did away with the plastic inserts, which was the only thing I dislike about the 7800s. I bought two sets, and suddenly clipping into the 5.2 Pro and ti bike was almost effortless. I'm probably going to replace all of my old pedals now, if the right deal comes across my screen. The old pedals will be cleaned, lubricated and then go in the parts bin for bikes I'm selling. From now on only the best for my rides.
I also picked up a set of Force brakes for my crit bike, which has been laying in a heap on a pile of boxes in the garage ever since I stole its brakes for the race bike. Every time I tripped by its mangled carcass I promised myself I was going to fix it, and I finally got around to obtaining the parts to accomplish this. Maybe it will see the road before the end of the season. Maybe not.
I also bought another set of carbon handlebars that were too cheap to pass up. Just as my PayPal transaction was completing, my kids drained the last bit of bandwidth from my internet plan. I was this close to picking up a box of 100 derailleur cables.
Maybe next month.
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