Bust and boon

Last night's commute was a bust. My right shifter has been flaky for a couple of days where the bottom right lever wouldn't catch every time I pushed it. The lever failed to catch at all when I left the campus and got on the road proper. I decided to limp along until I could cross Waxpool and get out of traffic. A short while after getting onto the much calmer Smiths Switch, I pulled onto the footpath and took a look at my shifter. The bottom half had come loose and barely clung to the main portion of the shifter casing. I pulled out my multitool and tried tightening the visible screws to no avail. I could have made it home with some difficulty and discomfort but, and I'm not proud of this, I called Hubbyfink to pick me up instead and take me to Spokes. He panicked a little bit but I assured him both I and the bike were fine and we were in a safe spot.

Thirty minutes later, I pushed Rose into the shop and announced I was back for my weekly visit. The shop's manager laughed because it was true. It turns out that the plate which is supposed to keep the shifter levers from loosening the screws stopped doing it's job and had worked itself loose. The repair guy readjusted and tightened everything and added some Loctite to the plate for good measure. Everything is once again tickety-boo; although, I'm beginning to suspect that my Ariel might be a lemon.

While we waited, I showed Hubbyfink the jacket I've been coveting since our last trip to the bike shop and he, after confirming that yes I would delighted to have that be my birthday gift, bought it for me. I swear, these trips for free tune-ups and adjustments are going to bankrupt us. :)The jacket was fantastic for this morning's ride even if the sleeves don't feel quite as wind-proof as advertised. Maybe if I wore a base layer with long sleeves, I might feel a difference... And, if weather.com isn't correct and the rain showers don't break for the rush hour(s), it'll be GREAT for the ride home. I'll just have to deal with wet hair since the wool cap and/or helmet cover will have to wait until payday.