Magic
Beats me, but I’ll take it.
I’d been getting this “chirping” noise with each revolution of the front wheel on the Saluki. I’d considered all the usual suspects: I’d checked to see if the tire was rubbing the fender; I squeezed all the spokes, and lubed them up where they crossed; I’d even tried fiddling with the connector to the Schmidt generator hub, thinking maybe there was something there, but still no luck.
So, I’d come to the conclusion that it had to be something broken in the hub itself, and resolved to have it serviced, since what other choice did I have?
I put the wheel in the basket of the 420 bike and rode it downtown to Elliot Bay, where I’d originally gotten the hub. Their mechanic looked it over and explained that there was nothing they could do about it really; they don’t have the tool for opening up the hub; all I could do was send it to Peter White Cycles and, if I managed not to piss Peter off with political talk, maybe he could do something about it.
So, back in the basket it went and back home I went; I checked with Aaron at Aaron’s Bike Repair and he, too, said to send it back east.
A couple of emails with Peter White confirmed that my only recourse was to get it to him and then off to Germany where the Schmidt folks would have at it. Meanwhile, I looked into the possibility of buying a whole new hub and have a wheel built up, but the $400 price tag sort of dismayed me.
Defeated, I decided what the heck, I’d just put the tube and tire back on and ride the wheel anyway; maybe I could wear headphones or something if the sound was too annoying.
Today, though, as I pedaled down the alley, the telltale chirping was all gone; I have no idea why, but I’m not complaining.
I’d been getting this “chirping” noise with each revolution of the front wheel on the Saluki. I’d considered all the usual suspects: I’d checked to see if the tire was rubbing the fender; I squeezed all the spokes, and lubed them up where they crossed; I’d even tried fiddling with the connector to the Schmidt generator hub, thinking maybe there was something there, but still no luck.
So, I’d come to the conclusion that it had to be something broken in the hub itself, and resolved to have it serviced, since what other choice did I have?
I put the wheel in the basket of the 420 bike and rode it downtown to Elliot Bay, where I’d originally gotten the hub. Their mechanic looked it over and explained that there was nothing they could do about it really; they don’t have the tool for opening up the hub; all I could do was send it to Peter White Cycles and, if I managed not to piss Peter off with political talk, maybe he could do something about it.
So, back in the basket it went and back home I went; I checked with Aaron at Aaron’s Bike Repair and he, too, said to send it back east.
A couple of emails with Peter White confirmed that my only recourse was to get it to him and then off to Germany where the Schmidt folks would have at it. Meanwhile, I looked into the possibility of buying a whole new hub and have a wheel built up, but the $400 price tag sort of dismayed me.
Defeated, I decided what the heck, I’d just put the tube and tire back on and ride the wheel anyway; maybe I could wear headphones or something if the sound was too annoying.
Today, though, as I pedaled down the alley, the telltale chirping was all gone; I have no idea why, but I’m not complaining.
posted by Professor Dave at 6:59 PM
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