On a failed Tour de l'Île

 I didn't make it the whole way around.

I was a volunteer bike mechanic for the Tour de l'Île this year but I failed to complete even 10 kilometers.

Conditions were great, lots of sun, a cool breeze. A lot of people. Many of whom failed to grasp the concept of not blocking other people. Seriously, I spent far more time asking people to stay to the sides of the street if they weren't moving than doing anything related to bike mechanics while waiting to start.

I failed to figure out why someone's wireless bike computer was failing to pick up a signal from his sensor. I helped someone extract his shoe from one of his clip-less pedals. That was interesting as he had lost one of the bolts that attached his SPD cleats to his shoes and therefore couldn't turn the cleat. I inflated some tires and adjusted someone's disc brakes. Then it was time for me time to head off.

Just after the funnel, I shifted into a higher gear and felt something go snap in the left (rear) brakeshifter. I could not longer shift the rear derailleur and was stuck in the smallest (fastest) gear. Well, loose chips! 

I proceeded on the flat course for a couple of kilometers before getting stuck in a traffic jam caused by the route going over a narrow bridge, made even narrower by construction, in the form of a generator and a Dickie Moore trailer surrounded by a fence which narrowed the roadway. What on Earth was Vélo-Québec and/or the City of Montreal thinking? The congestion was made worse by people walking their bikes.

Around kilometer 8, the route took me near MEC, so I broke away and went over to see if they could quickly replace the gear cable. They could, so I waited and waited. Then the mechanic came out and said that it wasn't just the gear cable, but also the brakeshifter was dead. And they didn't have one in stock. He set the rear derailleur to a fixed position near the middle of the gear range.

At that point, I was feeling very grumpy and somewhat hungry, so I went to the Parc Station and took the Metro home. I owe Vélo-Québec an inner tube and probably an earful about what a terrible route choice they made.

I moved Justin Thyme's pedals and milk crate onto Leonardo for commuting.