New Outside Column!

I've got a new Outside column, and it's about how right on red for drivers is bullshit:

Of course we don't allow right on red here in New York City, though there are certain intersections where it is permitted, and if you don't notice the tiny sign telling you it's okay to go the drivers behind you will completely lose their shit because you're robbing them the chance to savor this rare opportunity.

Also, I've been acquainting myself with the mechanical nuances of my new-to-me bike:


 Firstly, I preemptively lubricated the freehub in order to obviate the dreaded "Mavic Death Squeal," and to familiarize myself with the process.  (As it happens, I was riding with a friend recently when his Mavic hub started howling, so the blood-curdling sound was still fresh in my mind.)  In all the process took maybe 5 minutes, required only two hex keys, and in terms of mechanical difficulty was only slightly more challenging than removing the rear wheel from the bicycle in order to do it.  So if doing that a couple times a season keeps things working smoothly then I'd consider that acceptable.

Secondly, a on a ride a few days ago I noticed a subtle squeaking sound while pedaling that I eventually narrowed down to the crank.  (Remember, this bike is new to me, so it's bound to need some attention here and there.)  "Uh-oh," I thought.  As a Shimano Hollowtech II enthusiast (let's be honest, a traditional threaded bottom bracket shell with a Hollowtech II crank is the most reliable, easily serviced drivetrain in the history of humankind), I was dreading the moment I'd have to figure out the Campagnolo Ultra Torque crank, what with its wave washers and Hirth joint and all the rest of it--though I also knew that sooner or later I'd have to come to terms with it, and clearly that moment had come sooner rather than later.

Anyway, removing and reinstalling the Campy crank also turned out to be pretty easy--not Hollowtech II easy, but certainly easy enough.  It also didn't require any weird tools (I had a hex key of sufficient length, as well as a torque wrench), though had I done a full bearing service it would have been another story, because apparently those require a special puller, because of course they do.  In any case, I greased the cups and put everything back together, and since then everything's been quiet.

Hopefully it remains that way, because I've got an Ultegra crank ready to be deployed on short notice, and I will mix Campy and Shimano if I have to.  (In fact, if you look closely at the bike, I already am.)

You have been warned.