Batting 500

Despite joyful assistance (and flattery that I know so much about mechanical things), no luck removing the drive side of the bottom bracket. It's cranked - no pun intended - so tight that my 12" channellock wrench and crank tool can't budge it. The non-drive side did come off with the Mrs. admiring my handiwork. It was dry as a bone in there. No grease ever graced the inside of this bottom bracket. The bike, rather the frame, was sitting on the floor of a cool, albeit sloppy intown bike shop in Atlanta. It's an Uno; an entry fixed frame that was perfect for my first project - building wheels - since it had everything else but.

The dry bottom bracket translates to the squeek I hear when pedalling. Back to Peachtree Bikes for advice and a stronger arm to free this sucker.

Radios and Bottom Brackets

First task tonight is to install the birthday present from my overly generous in-laws. A Bose Receptor HD stereo. Now we can't have the radio laying on top of old books seldom used. After the full reorg of the books and the shelf, it's done. Music is back and the iPod will be connected aft ter the patch cord is purchased. Gifts that encourage subsequent purchases are gifts that struck the right cord. Nice work Bose! The sound and user interface is perfect. It makes my iPod dock blush.

Tonight the bottom bracket of the fixed project needs attention. It eeks out a noise that calls dogs at 100 yards. Since I don't even have a bottle cage on this spartan ride, I can't squirt the playful fellers. So this squeel has to go. I've never openned a bottom bracket. Wish me luck.

Now where did I put Todd Downs Bicycling Maintenance & Repair book? Storage reorganizations do this. The place is neat but I can't find anything.