DIAGNOSIS: BRAIN DEATH

HISTORY OF PRESENT MECHANICAL PROBLEM: I headed out to John Muir Trails yesterday on a beautiful day to get in some good fun riding. I was looking forward to riding out to Emma Carlin and back and getting in a good workout. I did all my final checks before heading off to ride. Water, phone, gel, power bar, camera... check. Tire pressure good, chain lubed and clean...check. I looked at the rear brain shock and it was clean but I noted there was some oil around the rebound nob and I wiped it off with a cloth, I thought this was odd.

I got on the bike and started to pedal and, holy bobbing, it feels to squishy in the back and I must reset it from the last race. I remember on the third lap of the race at Smokin Spoke I got off my bike to readjust the brain because I felt like the bike was way to bumpy. Anyway... I checked the pressure at it was still set at 60 PSI which is what I originally had it at so it was not leaking pressure. I reset the rebound to fast and the shock itself to firm. I got on the bike and it was still squishy. I noted that the O ring when I sat on the bike sagged at least 4 inches and this was not good. I again rechecked the pressure and left it on for a while to see if it was leaking and nothing happened.

I saw Holly from Kill Joy in the parking lot with her team members and went over to say hi and she offered to borrow me a single speed that they have back at her friends house. That was very nice of her but I know they all had more riding to do and I did not want to infringe on their fun. So I decide to head out for a lap with these guys to test out the bike. I drove 45+ minutes to the Kettle's and I might as well take a spin to see if the shock is trashed.

The ride definitely was not smooth and my pedal stroke was using up 80% energy. Hill climbs were WORK with the bobbing and it felt like I was riding in sand on the climbs. (Which I also noted last weekend when I was pre-riding the Smokin Spoke Course and tried three separate times to Dial in the bike.) Standing up and pedaling was like a child's PO-GO-Stick. Man...this is not fun riding and it looks like the brain had died. I wonder if this has any correlation to my race last weekend when all of a sudden I died out there and got so exhausted after the first lap.

Well I am sure it added to the pain I was feeling out there if that is the case. The bike is off to the shop and I have a race in one week. I was just going to sell my other MTB. In fact I got a call on my cell at the same time I found out that something is wrong with my rear shock, thinking it was the bike shop returning my call when I found out my shock is blown and it was someone interested in buying my other MTB, now that is funny. Maybe there is hope that I have not died just yet for the season finale!