London Cyclocross League 2010/11 Round 5 Herne Hill

It would have been a great day to race, sadly I didn’t make it. Went downstairs to fetch the Ridley and discovered the hubs had seized. PANIC!

After much trying to figure out what was wrong, I just prayed and sprayed with WD40 which seemed to free up the hubs. The front feels like like it’s full of gravel , the rear is a bit noisy but the Fulcrum 7 freehub is like a klaxon so it’s tough to tell.

The bottom bracket has gone a bit stiff too and might need replacing. But it’s rideable at the moment which is a relief.

The cause of the disaster? Jetwashing the bike after the last race and not taking the wheels off first. So I blasted all the lube out of the cartridge bearings and then they dried out and got stiff. I’ve not actually ridden the bike since then, a fortnight ago. Schoolboy error.

So lesson learned: jetwashing at the local garage is a fool’s errand. It might save a bit of time but if I hadn’t cut corners then I’d have been riding today.

So instead why don’t you read the London League Round 5 report on Team Here Come The Belgians.

Once you’ve done that you may resume pointing and laughing at me.

Incidentally, how the heck can it be that It would cost me less to buy an entirely new set of Fulcrum 7s than to get replacement bearings for the existing ones and get them fitted?

In future I’ll be buying Mavic wheels I reckon seeing as how the bearings seem easier to replace. I’ve been meaning to replace those Ksyrium Equipes that got trashed about this time last year for ages. Might just get a pair of the Aksiums instead.

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