Like a Phoenix out of the ashes...
...alright, enough with the cliches, but the Rockhopper is back! Spared the fate which so many suggested for it, my vintage 1987 Specialized Hardtail rolls again! Detailing my travails to some of the Dealers in the area, they were all too quick to suggest the diminishing return in repairs; but call me sentimental, this Bike has a soul! Ever since I casually disregarded my 1971 Schwinn Continental ten-speed, while doing my undergraduate studies at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, where, in disrepair, shackled to a bike rack outside of my off-campus efficiency, some thief made off with "The Cont". I vowed then and there that I would never again subject a Bicycle of mine to such neglect; taking for granted its intrinsic value.
Sure, I could have bought a new bike for a few dollars more than what this round of repairs ended up costing; but it would be like pulling the plug on your brother after he's broken his leg! Today's shops are all too quick to give you the Bum's rush as soon as you start asking repair questions entailing more than fixing a flat, wheel trueing or chain replacement. The economies of scale which have overtaken the Bicycle industry are now staggering. Most Bicycles sold in the U.S. and elsewhere are now made in China, with Frames being the single most critical cost factor in this regard; and the Chinese are not without some knowledge and insight on what it takes to make two wheels roll. Because of the commoditization inherent to low-cost manufacturing, assembly and distribution of most consumer (as well as "Pro") cycles, when you attempt to start piece-mealing parts with the objective of cobbling together your own repair or "custom" job, the costs can mount pretty quickly.
Notwithstanding the fact that they too have been selling new Bikes for sometime now, kudos again to
Uptown Bikes for not forsaking their roots, and realizing that the bread is indeed buttered on both sides. While some might say it's merely for lack of space and the need for efficiency in storage, it's telling that most of Uptown Bikes' new models are suspended from the ceiling in order to allow for the constant flow of customer traffic, visiting Uptown with the objective of repair, rather than purchase. This is their first order of business, and no one attempts to dissuade you from getting your ride fixed; afterall, this is why you came in to begin with. Hats off to the crew at Uptown, who after initially doing a redux on the Rockhopper earlier this Summer, were again all too helpful in the resucitation and recovery of the wrecked cycle. Additional thanks and commendation go to
UV Metal Arts' Yuval Awazu, who deftly accomplished a task which none of the bike shops were willing to attempt, rebending the Bike Frame's Derailleur Hanger to the position Jah intended.
I sprung up to my feet, alive and ready to start kicking the Tundra as it continued in its unrelenting destruction of key functional and structural components of my vintage hardtail Mountain Bike(MTB). Not only was the formerly whisper-quiet and flawlessly performing Shimano Deore Derailleur now rendered useless, but more importantly, and critical to the survivability of my road-converted MTB, the Derailleur Hanger, an integrated extension of the Bike's Frame itself, was bent to a perverse 45-degree angle; moreover the Frame's rear extent was obscenely out of whack now. Further insult was heaped upon injury when I saw a rear wheel rim now so false one could hardly reckon it had ever actually been true.
...and it wasn't pretty; the handlebar only tells part of the story. Fortunately, the force evidenced by the bent bar, was not fully transferred onto my body as it was trapped under the Rockhopper. Like a terrified Crab escaping the grasp of a crazed Seafood Chef, I scuttled out from under my Bike, which was now firmly pinned underneath the Tundra's front Bumper, in an effort to avoid oncoming traffic. The Driver, still oblivious to the fact that he had impacted a cyclist, continued to drag my Bicycle into the busy thoroughfare; digging a trench two feet long and a quarter-inch deep into the late Summer evening's asphalt; assisted by an unwilling rear Derailleur.
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