Blind Consumerism - Or Bike Geek

My rear wheel has been squeaking and plinking on and off, and I had just been ignoring it. The wheels I have been running were the ones that came with my bike, and aside from a spare front wheel, the ones on the bike are the ones I have available. Well, yesterday, in the cold rain and sleet, the wheel decided it had had enough. The squeak became sort of a constant squeak-grind with the occasional feeling of slippage and clunking after coasting for a while (for those not in the know - wheels are supposed to spin quietly and smoothly). It's probably my fault, or, at least, the previous day's training ride was the straw that broke the camel's back. Wednesday, I did some crazy intervals suggested by Travis, our team president, and cat 2 racer, that involve grinding at a slow cadence of 40-50 rpm while maintaining a zone 3 heart rate. So, on the Sammamish River Trail, I did two sets of 12 minute intervals at a HR of 160-165 in the 53x14 with a 10 min rest in between. They were tough! It also didn't help that after I turned around to head back home, the headwind made it a struggle to keep the HR in a recovery zone! But, since the first two races of the year are time trials, these intervals should pay dividends.

Anyway, on yesterday's ride, the wheel got angry, and I resigned myself to probably needing a new wheel. Here's where the "Blind Consumerism" comes into play. I used to be a bike mechanic. I mean, I got paid to fix bikes, and I should know better, but when I brought the wheel in the Sammamish Valley Cycle (one of our team sponsors, and conveniently 3 blocks from our townhouse) I was surprised when Brian (who is on my team, and works there) said, "I think it just needs an overhaul." Grand total for this operation would be a whopping $30, including bearings. But, they said it might take a couple of days (panic - no riding?), and so I felt justified in buying some new wheel, just so I had a spare rear wheel. I shopped around with what they had, and ended up with a fine Mavic wheel with aero bladed spokes, and a reasonable price. The Bike Geek in me just couldn't help it (there were cheaper options). And don't get me wrong - the wheel is sweet and will be great for the aforementioned time trials. But, today, roughly 18 hours after I dropped off the wheel at the shop, I got a call that it was all ready to pick up. So you see, I never missed a ride due to this wheel. I feel just a little bit guilty for having purchased the new wheel - but it is so pretty! And it spins quietly and smoothly! And, thanks to the shop, so too does my old wheel - maybe it will make it another 4700 miles...