with a little help from my friends...

Didn't the Beatles have a song that went something like that?

This WAS plan A, my geared 26 Igleheart outfitted with some custom fenders for a back to back gaps attack. Even the best plans go to waste and the bicycle destroyer strikes again! - the way I should title this post. Another title to this post could be "switch to plan B".
After spending some hours prepping my geared 26'er for a wet trip to hill country, other wise known as Whittingham's turf in northern VT, plans to take the geared 26 are in the circular file. Hours of tweaking on my geared bike were all for nothing...or almost nothing. The geared bike is officially out of commission and I'm afraid it's structural and you guessed it...the bike destroyer strikes again.. I dented the top tube on THAT bike months ago with a wipe out at Hampshire 100k so bad that a crack developed and now grew to a couple inches and upon inspection last night that bike is unride-able. If I took it up north it would surely break on top of App or Lincoln..or worse, break while descending down App or Lincoln..

Christopher cleared out his schedule this morning and was going to perform an emergency tube-ectomy to save the ride. But that would have been plan C. Currently I'm simultaneously creating plan B and switching to a plan B at the same time.

Plan B involves my single speed 29'er and a front derailleur, a chain tensioner and some honk'in fenders. It's going to pour all weekend so Bill set me up with the perfect pair of mud flaps. The front derailleur will help me keep up with Roger and Jeff on fast rolling roads. The freak dual speed is born, well almost born..will be born, with a little help from my friends at Western Cycle, KC and Igleheart. Kerry loaned me just the right freewheel for the weekend, and I hope it to be the correct gear for La Ruta. Many thanks to Christopher for quickly fabricating the sliding rear hangar this morning and thanks to Kerry for the White clicker. you rock. Pictures of the freak dual speed next week.

Words of wisdom from vet racer Kerry Combs, told to her from Lloyd Graves many years ago..
(about staying on the bike on tough climbs) - "The rubb'a on yur wheels is faster then the rubb'a on yur Heels!" I think that will come in handy this weekend.

-Peace out