Today was my day off from the Outdoorsman Bike Shop in Butte, Montana. I had planned to do some single track on the mtb along the CDT. The weather was beautiful! But, as life happens unscripted my dear sweet wife was feeling ill, and I had the two granddaughters all to myself for most of the day. I did manage to bake some bread and make some Italian meatballs for dinner while the girls took their afternoon nap. Such a great day with my granddaughters.
We had just finished eating dinner when my cell phone rang at 5:45pm with its familiar tone set for the bike shop's owner Rob Leipheimer. Rob said he had a Great Divide rider in the shop with a wheel needing serious attention and could I come in to take a look at it. I was thrilled to help Rob and a fellow cyclist out, so I got to the shop a few minutes after his call.
The rear wheel's rim had moderate impact damage in two spots about 180 degrees apart compromising the bead seat and was out of lateral and radial true. Now here's a guy from North Carolina riding the most demanding mountain bike route in North America with a serious wheel problem and another 1000 miles to ride to the next shop along his route. Do I take my job seriously...you bet I do! With the help of a bench vise and alot of wheel experience I managed to get the rim width and bead seat back to its almost original position. Then I finished lateral and radial truing, checked the tension, and measured less than a .5mm gap in true in both aspects. Job done, wheel safe, and rider ready to head down the trail without the worry or risk of the tire blowing off the rim in a remote location.
Now when he rides off on the Great Divide tomorrow morning after a good night's rest, some of my energy will travel with him. For that I am grateful and humbled.
It was a great day! Another Zen experience.
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