Spin a sprocket win a prize

I spent several days trying to fix Omega’s bike last week. I sacrificed my Youtube feed to bike repair videos explaining how to tune a derailleur. I learned all about smooth shifting and adjustment screws and cable tension. The chain would slip off the front sprocket whenever the bike was shifted into the first gear. At first I thought it was because the old bike was missing the chain guard on the front sprocket, but the job of the chain guard isn’t to keep the chain on the sprocket, and more importantly I couldn’t find a replacement that fit, so that wasn’t the problem. All signs pointed to the derailleur being out of adjustment.

I located my screwdriver, and my wrenches which was no small feat since I don’t own a proper toolbox. What tools I have squat in whatever corner of the house they like the best. The screw driver for example lives in a cardboard box in the mud room next to the mini fridge, under a half empty bag of chips. The wrenches live on the bottom shelf in the corner of the garage under some gardening pots. It’s a terrible system and I hate it and I can never find my measuring tape.

So I spent several days learning about how derailleurs work, how to adjust derailleurs, pleading with derailleurs, swearing at derailleurs, but nothing would keep the chain from slipping off the front sprocket. And so finally my brain, clearly exasperated because I just wasn’t getting any of this, let me in on a little something it noticed days ago, that might be relevant, I don’t know, maybe, did you see how the front sprocket is slightly but obviously bent?

Anyways, I always know where the hammer is, and now I’m a bike repair hero of some very low calibre. At least to Omega. For a hot minute. It’s since passed.

Hey! This piggy doesn’t have sprocket problems. My guess is that his scooter doesn’t even have sprockets. It has chips, though, probably from my mud room. Chips, I think we can all agree, are way better than sprockets.