Squeaky Wheel

On Saturday, I took my bicycle back to the The Hub bicycle shop where it was purchased for its free 30-day tune up.  I purchased this bicycle last November and the tune up is a little overdue.  But, honestly, it has been just the last couple of weeks that I have noticed some minor issues with brakes and gears, so I don't feel too bad about putting off the tune up work.  Like my dad would say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

The Hub bicycle shop is located in Athens, GA, home of UGA - The University of Georgia.  The drive to Athens on 316 was rather uneventful with the exception of backed up traffic in one spot due to a traffic accident.  That is nothing new.  There is always slow traffic somewhere along that highway.  But it was pretty smooth sailing compared to the traffic on the day I picked my bike up for the first time.  That was also a Saturday, but there was a UGA home football game against Auburn U. that day and I swear most of the city of Atlanta and maybe half the state of Alabama was out there trying to get to the game.  I knew better than to head in that direction on game day, but my bike was ready to go and I just couldn't wait another week to bring it home.  Instant gratification outweighed my impatience with nasty traffic.

This time, it took about 30 minutes to drive to Athens from Lawrenceville and the tune up was finished in less than 15 minutes.  As I waited, I searched the store from top to bottom for eye protection options.  After he finished working on my bike, I asked the shop owner what he recommended.  This guy confirmed that face shields for bicycle helmets are not available commercially except for the most expensive racing helmets.  His best suggestion was to purchase tight-fitting sunglasses or just put up with eye irritation.  I'm re-thinking the option of prescription sunglasses, despite the cost.

Today was the first time I took my bike out for a ride after the tune-up.  The skies were cloudy and dark when I left the office, but the weather forecast assured me that the rain would wait until later in the day.  Wrong.  About two miles into my ride, the drizzle began and at about four miles it was steady rain.  That's when I noticed a loud, annoying squeaking sound emanating from around the front cogs.  With each turn of the pedals, the squeaking continued.  When I found a wide spot along the roadway, I dismounted and hand turned the pedals to see if I could find the problem.  No squeak.  I got back on the bike and began to pedal again.  Right away the squeaking sound returned.  As much as I disliked the thought of driving back into Athens, I decided this was something that needed quick attention.

When I was about a half mile from the end of my ride, I looked down and noticed that the toe area of my right foot was actually rubbing against the crank arm.  I slid my toe slightly towards the outer part of the pedal and, presto, the squeak sound went away.  With the proper cleated riding shoe, I suspect my toe position would remain static, my cranking effort will be more efficient and that irritating squeak sound will no longer exist.  The Shimano PD-M324 pedals I have installed on my bike have both a flat and SPD platform, so I can use just about any shoe.  It appears that road bicycle shoes are my next research project and purchase to improve my riding experience.  Suggestions are appreciated!