I may have missed some postings, so please forgive me if I repeat anything already mentioned.
I used to suffer terribly when wearing clips and straps, but wasn't terribly impressed with the first Look pedals. Imagine how pleased I was, then, when I found an ad on a University bulletin board for a new pair of the extremely rare and expensive Campy SGR clipless pedals. The seller had won them as a prize at some big race and sold them to me for about $100. Incredibly heavy, but I finally got to experience clipless pedals while keeping my bike "all Campy". Unfortunately, during the double century on which I first wore them, the release tension somehow tightened as I rode along. By the second or third stop (which was, like all the others, populated with dozens of idle riders checking out the folks just arriving), they were gripping well enough that it was necessary to remove my shoes to get off the damn bike.
I once discovered, on a big event 70 miles from home, that if one decides to overhaul a freewheel, one should be sure the lockring is fastened really, really tightly. Fortunately, I was riding with Angel Rodriguez, at that time a framebuilder, who among his tools and spares was carrying a freewheel worth of little ball bearings.
I hate to admit to making the same mistake more than once, but if shot up with sodium barbital I might confess that at least three times, most recently as last Friday, I've threaded a new chain through a rear derailleur but passing it OUTSIDE the tab at the back of the pulley cage. Astonishingly, the drivetrain will continue to work, more or less. Why, someone might ride around for days before taking a look. Probably.
And in truth, now that I'm past the bolt-stripping stage of my development as a home mechanic, darn near every rite of passage I've endured could have been avoided if I could only resist the temptation to do extensive repairs or modifications the night before a big race. A cool head and a test ride makes life go a lot easier.
Finally, if I tell you that, unlike many teammates and friends, I've never showed up for a race without cycling shoes or without a helmet, does that doom me to do so this weekend?
Kris Hicks-Green
Olympia, Washington State, USA