Damaged Report

Firstly... some of the most Enduro™ coverage from 2013 Interbike.



And now, content.

The fixed gear fiasco of this past weekend was cause for much concern at Bad Idea Racing Headquarters.  Mike Piazza (coach, GM, attorney, PR man, and head IT guy) had planned for a sweep of all the events in the Omnium.  Almost if not enough "all" and mostly just "most."  Why did the chain come off five times over two days?  What kind of collateral damage occurred?  How can future mishaps be avoided?  Not since the 9/11 Commission has such a (not so) thorough study been conducted... after a short period of reflection.

Damaged:

Chain off to the outside.  Damage imited to the Industry Nine Torch endcap.  Structural integrity intact,  aesthetic integrity compromised.  Certain warranty situation.

Chain off to the inside.  Metal sheared away from the backside of the disc brake tabs when the chain became so entangled that the wheel locked up.  Hideous results, although I knew something had to give.  Nothing a metal file can't (and did) fix.

Culprit:

I thought it was a sloppy fitting PC-1 chain that I had found on the floor, but upon further inspection, I see that my Tomi Cog has had more use than I originally thought.  The valleys between the teeth are well worn and there's some shark fin action going on.  Meh.  If I choose to defend my 2013Southern Single Speed Fixed Gear Omnium title next year, I'm gonna have to invest in a new cog... or just deal with the occasional, frame/hub damaging, place losing, life endangering chain drop.

Speaking of damaged...

This is Sizemore, whom I've taken to calling Gordon Lightfoot.  He was the victim of a very sad hoarding situation.  Before you grab your pitchforks and torches, know that the hoarder in question was mentally challenged and thought she was running a dog rescue.

When they walked into the place, there were dogs in all states of poor health and some dead.  Sizemore was stuck to the couch in his own excrement.  They peeled him off the cushion and considered putting him down as he was only nine pounds and too weak to even stand up.  Fortunately, the Charlotte Humane Society knows that The Pie RN works from home and is handy with an IV needle. They let him live.

A week later, he can now stand up, walk around, chase a rabbit (the rabbit has little to worry about), and lay back down.  He still looks a bit like ass, but he's well on his way to being a regular dog.

So you might ask yourself, "What can I do to make a difference?"

The Pie would then refer you to the starfish story.

Do whatever you can.  Your local humane society takes all kinds of donations.  From money to old towels and blankets... you name it, they need it.  Your donations help guys like Gordon get a second chance, not to mention all the cute puppies and kitties they save and other services they offer.  The Humane Society of Charlotte makes is super easy for you:

I'm not asking you to give till it hurts or even makes you slightly uncomfortable.  Just perhaps the equivalent of a cup of Starbucks or a bucket of KFC chicken would suffice.

I can't embed the video/image gallery that The Pie made about  Gordon's story, but click here to have your heart strings tugged at pretty hard.

Thanks for your support.  Gordon appreciates it and says giving makes you more attractive to the opposite sex, so there's that.