Does this look like a lot of zip ties to you? Big G packed this bike about a year ago for a customer who was moving back to Santa Cruz, CA, after a few years working in the Boston area. The customer had always been friendly and appreciative. Big G went all out on the swaddling and securing.
The customer decided to bring the bike back here and buy a new one for out there, so he never unpacked it. It will stay here for visits back east, to the in-laws.
Here are all the zip ties I removed from the bike:
It seemed strangely interesting that these basically disposable items, which we had already salvaged from new bikes we were unpacking, had traveled all the way to California and then returned to us, still in re-usable condition. They've logged more miles than I have in the past 12 months.
The bike had some fascinating mold on it. I wished I had a camera that could capture the details of the microscopic Dr. Seuss forests scattered around on bar tape and brake hoods. It was even growing on the frame and the broad spokes of the Mavic wheels.
Some days my job is just so darn interesting. Right?
Mold? Feeding on what?
ReplyDeleteThat's the scary part.
ReplyDeleteMold living on a bike? I suppose it is possible, but I wonder about Steve's question and your response...
ReplyDeleteHow'bout them reusable zip ties?
Have a Wonderful Day!
Peace :)
It wasn't really scary. They looked like tiny, yellow trees. It was not a thick coating anywhere. They grew more densely on the cork tape and the brifter hoods, but some had spread to areas one might consider less hospitable. Non-porous surfaces could have had sweat, body oils and splashes of energy drink on them.
ReplyDeleteThe zip ties were like returning friends. "Guys! You're back!"
"We went all the way to California and all we saw was the inside of a storage unit."