Perfect Prep?

I sometimes wonder whether the man with his eye on the big game is having a laugh at my expense.  During my last event of 2011 my rear shifter decided to give up the ghost a mere 200 metres before the start line.  Hurried replacement and a charge to the line in time to see my fellow competitors moving off were the order of the day.

In order to get myself ready for Wentwood my preparation started last night... and ended this morning with nothing in between.

A thorough clean off after Tuesdays cracking ride around Rivelin Valley saw me finding a few little things that need attention.

My 10 month old Hope BB is making noises that 10 month old bottom brackets shouldn't and, more annoying, my rear SRAM X9 shifter decided that it wanted to play the same game as the front one did last year.

Cue swearing, late night google searches and dozens of attempts to get little springs back into tinier spaces in the old shifter.

I eventually gave up on the idea of repair some time past midnight and dejectedly switched searching the net from 'Repair' to 'Buy'.

Two things spring to mind when considering SRAM;

1) When they work, they're fantastic
2) When you need to buy them they're bastard expensive

A final decision saw Chainreactions relieve me of yet more of CJ's inheritance in the vain hope they will deliver in time for sundays start line.

A frustrated text to Nic this morning proved the theory that seeing things the next morning always makes it seem a bit better.  The offer of a loaned shifter whilst he attempts a second SRAM warranty replacement for me in as many months and the suggestion that a similar try with Hope will probably see me right on the Bottom Bracket front.

I know that the internet based cycles stores are the first stop off point for many cyclists, but you can't beat the service from your local one.

So, my prep hasn't been perfect, the bike will need more work the day before the event, my legs have less miles in than I had hoped and I have a sleep deficit last seen when CJ was about 2 weeks old.

At least I've got the all the bad stuff out of the way eh?