and so did the adjusted brakes. i know it's purely psychological but the thinner handlebar made the bike feel lighter; however it still felt just as slow as the old version. the bike shifts well downwards, but shifting up it'd get stuck in 3-4 gear. this is probably a derailleur alignment issue, the trek never shifted smoothly to begin with. it also has problems engaging the 7th gear (smallest cog).
i rode all the way to belmont, where only my father was home sleeping. i spent an hour outside tinkering with the bike. first thing i did was to adjust the shifters/brake levers so they're pointing down instead of splayed out to the sides. i then fiddled with the derailleur, adjusting the setting screws (at least those that haven't rusted shut) and resetting the shifter cable. no matter what i did, it still catches in the middle gears when i upshift and i can't seem to engage the 7th gear. i'll play around with the derailleur alignment tomorrow (worse case scenario is i buy a new derailleur (a cheap shimano brand on amazon costs $13) - worst case scenario i have to get a new derailleur hanger).
i was in belmont for more than just bike mechanic work; i was there to also watch the UEFA champions match between barcelona and ac milan (8:30 european time, 2:30 local time). i was rooting for milan because they're the underdogs but i also wanted to see messi score a goal. after 90 minutes, the final score was an exciting 0-0. the 2nd leg is next week.
immediately after the game i rode back to cambridge. this morning i noticed some bloody phlegm stains on my bathroom rug so i treated the spots and set it out to dry. my roommate went to work late today (10:00) and i got up just as soon as he was leaving. he came home relatively early at 6:20. while he was eating noodles for dinner, i casually asked him to be careful about his spitting. as for me, i had some cheese tortellini for dinner.
