Fidget

Hi my name is David and I am a compulsive bike fidget.
Kinda sounds like the start of an AA meeting doesn't it? But it's my confession, I just can't help myself I just love fiddling/ tinkering with bikes. Any spare moment I have I'm in the garage doing something to one of the bikes, measuring, checking, tightning, cleaning....you get the point.
Tonite I spent 1/4hr with a bottle of turps, rubber gloves, and a paint brush cleaning the chain of the Giant, I think I might have a sickness?!?!
The flip side of this is I know alot about bikes, more than most people who work in your "average" bikeshop, I can tell you exactly what tools you need to pull something apart, and if you haven't got them I can probably tell you who imports them and where you can find 'em on the web cheaper....this isn't bad for someone who hasn't worked in a bike shop since being a teenager!
There is a point to this post though other then my rambling, it's this. You do need to spend quality time with your bikes. By that I mean, you need to know how they work and have at least a basic understanding of how to fix 'em. It's also by spending this time you pick up things before they go wrong and turn into something more major.
For example tonite I finally worked out how to stop the clicking on the Giant. Now this is something that has been sh!tting me for months now and I finally figured it out tonite after 15 mins of poking, pressing, and prodding.
Also from the weekend I could have sworn the forks bottomed out a couple of times on the downhills... checked the sag and sure enough it's 40mm not the 25mm I had it set at a couple of weeks ago. So it looks as though I have to check the air pressure every couple of rides.
Remember the P's. Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance