Something has to be done

Following Tuesday night's ride, I decided that something had to be done. My confidence shifting has dropped and it adds a tiny sour element to my rides. You see, my front derailleur has lost it's crisp shifting and moving from the small to the big ring does not consistently occur. I throw the shifter and nothing happens, it doesn't grab or starts to click and rub. I then have to shift down, and try again. Also, while in the big ring and the larger toothed cogs on the back (I never know how to refer to these. Should I call them bigger, smaller, higher or lower gears? I think I'll go with lower.) I get clicking, rubbing and, more and more frequently, skipping and cog jumping. Obviously, when the chain is on the big ring and lower gears I expect a certain amount of cross chaining, however it has gotten to the point where I'm no longer confident that my drive train will work properly when in that gray area of deciding whether I should stay on the big ring and muscle through a lower cadence or move to the smaller and shift to a higher gear on the back to keep similar ratios.

As a consequence I've been trending toward staying on the small ring unless I am certain that I'll be in the middle of the cassette when I move to the big ring. That means I often over spin and mess with my HR. Ick.

So yesterday I took Lady Orbea to the shop and left her for a tuneup. She'll stay overnight at the wonderfully appointed Mock Orange Bikes Spa to be pampered, and preened. It's only fair since I've ridden somewhere close to 2000 miles since the last one and she has been so good to me until very recently. I'll get her back tomorrow and we will have a nice 40 mile shakedown ride. Get well Lady. Get well.

In the meantime, today I think I'll head to hobby park singletrack on Mr. 29er and test his mettle through the roots and drops. There are benefits to having a stable of rides.