The Hodag BMX Club - unfreakingbelievable

IN related cycling news, I checked in on my old house in Wisconsin and found much better Bing/Google pictures than ever existed before. And Zillow and Trulia have found her too, with estimates of value but no details on it changing hands.

More hunting turned up the address associated with a "Hodag BMX Club" business registration, which led me to a track and people who apparently live in my house! Facebook and Linked in filled in the rest, as did local news sucked up by Google reporting on race results and events over the years. A speech pathologist and bmxer ecologist with bmxing kids living the dream in the backwoods.

At first I thought maybe the track WAS at the house (I looked hard in the satellite photos) but alas, its on the west side of town in "West Park". I think I did make out a trampoline behind the garage/office and now probably awesome bike garage.

I'd bet Rhinelander still lacks a good soccer field/league, but people living in my old house have kept a BMX track going for over a decade!

Focus Finally Goes to Tim Parker @ Cycle Sports Oakland

During my birthday bike ride on Sat November 16, I managed to pop the chain off the inner ring, past the chain keeper and wedged it between the chainring and bottom bracket. A bit embarrasing, Dave and Mikey whipped out tools, flipped the bike over and started loosening stuff to avoid further dinging to the carbon frame. All this from moving the bike backwards 2 feet :/ I re-adjusted the derailler at Danville Peets, but in the last stretch up Pinehurst a curious clunking chain noise-grind started. For my birthday, I decided it was time to take the Focus into the shop.

Saturday was not a go, but Sunday, the official BD day I got a minute to sneak the bike to CSO for service on Tuesday.

Today is Tuesday, Tim called me with The List Of Issues, which I will document here for my records and your enjoyment:

• Chain on backwards. Yes, apparently this is possible, they are asymmetric. Recall I changed cassette and chain in August.
• Hanger was "extremely bent", 2 fingers-worth in the plane tool they use to measure these things. Tim was able to bend it and suspected it might have come that way.
• Cogs were a little loose in back. Had big issue on FFreddies Ride.
• Crankset was removed, reset and cleaned. Never did that.
• Wheels trued. Surprise :)
• Headset checked and re-greased. Never did that.
• New rear-derailler housing, and new, greased cable. Tim says I will notice a big improvement in smoothness.
• Retaping with stretched, original tape. Tim is green apparently.
• Inspection and discussion of cracks in the carbon - I learned a lot
• handlebars - could be surface cracks due to motion of lugs underneath
• white parts and frames show cracks/cracking, and is why dark colors and "designs" abound on areas where cracks occur (usually at lug-like spots)
• still no way to validate/check for damage to carbon frames
• manufacturers are stepping away/reducing response to "cracking"
• All for - wait for it - $95, and ready to go tomorrow.

So I'll rack up the car and get my bike back. I really should have more pro work on the fleet, I'm going to love the result of Tim's labors. 

I am also getting my rain bike back from Cooke, as its now raining and I need to mount up my fenders, maybe I should take that one to Tim too.