Dust on my rims. All I need is dust on my rims.

At the end of the day yesterday I remembered that I needed to lube my chain and derailleur after getting caught in the rain the day before. The lights were out. Everyone else had left. The commute home is a race against sunset if I ride the longer, more peaceful route. So I slopped on the Pro Link without any delicacy.

I hurriedly wiped the over-splash off the rear rim and clacked down the stairs in my cleated shoes.

Of course the brake squealed embarrassingly. But I knew what to do.

With only a trace of residue on the rim, I could cure the problem with an abundant and available substance. I headed for the local bike path to ride in its clouds of dust. After a sufficient amount had settled on the rims I used the brake to sweep it away with the lingering lube. The brakes became quiet. Shortly thereafter they regained full effectiveness as well.

"Dust in the Wind" kept playing in my mind. Good tune for the end of the summer anyway.