Richard’s Reckless Travels

So I went to Jon’s today to learn how to true a wheel. After my birthday ride, Bella wasn’t doing too hot. Loose spokes all over the place. Not being one to sit an watch my favourite bike deteriorate in the garage, I wanted to learn how to fix said wheels. I’m anticipating that Nicaragua is going to do a number on my bike (after I build it) and learning all the basics of upkeep can only help me. Hell, maybe I can charge my fellow PCV’s a couple Cordobas for helping them with basic bike maintenance! Who knows. This skill could supplement my Peace Corps income! Everybody always talks about how much building a wheel sucks – don’t get me wrong, it’s a fine art, ridiculous actually. However, after getting help truing my front wheel, I was able to retension the rear wheel without any help. It’s really tedious and takes forever, but man it’s satisfying when you get done. I’d even go as far to say it’s therapeutic. So in light of my new skill, I’m gonna build the wheels for my Campania bike that I traded Jon my mountain bike for (much to the lament of my dad (for whatever reason, he’s the one who left it in the rain). Tomorrow I’m meeting that Josh Berman guy (a former PCV in Nicaragua as well as the author of the award winning guidebook of the country) where I’ll hopefully enlighten myself about the country and my potential living situation. Nevertheless, my main concern remaining is what I should bring with me. I’m the king of travelling light, and frankly, that’s the way I’d like to approach this trip. I hate hauling crap around.

That’s about it for now. Hopefully I’ll be able to build a wheelset for the bike I traded Jon for before I leave. Then I’ll be that much more awesome.