Smooth

Until I went out this morning on my newly gussied-up bike, I hadn't realized the sad shape my shifters and brakes were in. I was used to a bit of a difficult shift -- having to push hard to click the real derailleur into the next position. They worked, and they didn't grind. Seemed OK to me.

Well, they weren't. Wow. What a difference. Now, my gears shift fluidly. The guys at Revolution Cycles installed the new GORE™ RideOn® Sealed Low Friction cables, front and rear. "Completely protected from the elements by continuous liner and GRUB™ Seals. Patented cable coating technology designed for low friction and durability." No kidding. Moving from one cog to the other is now so smooth, it's like a knife through soft butter. Amazing. It's clear that this system was originally developed for mountain bikes, but it works well on a road bike, too -- especially if you end up riding in rain and on soggy streets, like I sometimes do.

I also got new brake cables and housing (they were bad too, it turned out), a new chain complete with a master link for easy removal, and a through clean-and-lube.

My baby's so beautiful now . . .

PS - isn't this just the best bike shop picture EVER? Taken on our trip to Rome in February.