It has been about 5 weeks since I last rode my trails, and I do miss them! I hate jostling down the freeway with all the other faceless motorists, playing my part in the grand, imaginary race twice a day, making sure that the guy behind me doesn’t get past, and that the guy in front of me gets the heck out of my way in time…
Yes, the trails were a more peaceful time… 
Anyways, I have been almost going crazy waiting for the snow to go away. I still hold to the hope that I will be biking again come February, but the naysayers keep trying to tell me that the snow will continue to pile up… I sure hope not!
When we returned home from our Christmas holidays, I nearly shouted with joy as I saw the ground brown and ugly! The snow had all melted in the valley. Granted, there was still some left up in the hills but nothing that couldn’t be ridden through. The last weekend before going to work, I picked up a new cogset and chain (along with a few tools for the job) and swapped them onto my bike. While I was at it, I cleaned the wheel hubs and re-greased the bearings. I should’ve done the headset too, not sure why I forgot that…
New SRAM 8-speed cogset and chain (Powerlink) installed. Shiny!
I also installed the stock Shimano crank back onto the bike, replacing the Truvativ crank I had put on last spring. Hey, I’m broke and can’t afford $100 for a new crank!
Alas, as Tuesday rolled around and I had to start work again, the snow came too… I should have known that you would come along! So, I’m back to driving again… 
But, at least the bike is ready to roll once the snow finally does leave… 
