This week John takes on the paradox of being an endurance athlete who likes to rush his way to the finish in what he does. Patrick takes on the scourge known as spoke protectors.
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The whole topic of spoke protectors had me laughing out loud. It brought me back to the shop where I bought my first road bike in the late 90s. In one of my visits, I was studying the Lemond hanging on the wall behind the register, complete with Greg Lemond’s signature on the top tube. The shop owner, Jim, told me about how Lemond had come into town to meet some of the dealers. Since the shop owner was a former pro, Lemond suggested that they go for a ride. Jim grabbed an appropriately sized, top of the line Lemond off the shop floor and set the seat height. Lemond immediately asked if they could remove the spoke protector. Jim explained that he had to leave it on to sell the bike, even as Lemond protested that he had won the Tour and COULD NOT be seen on a bike with a spoke protector. They rode a few miles before Lemond asked if Jim had a multi-tool, complaining that the shifting was a little off. They stopped and Jim handed over his multi-tool, a little suspicious. I think Jim described what happened next as a ‘vicious assault’, as Lemond used the screwdriver to smash the visible parts of the spoke protector around the cassette. He then handed back the tool, thanked Jim, and remounted. And that’s how Jim came to have a signed Lemond on his wall with a spoke protector that looked downright snaggle-toothed.