Trogdor

Every mountain biker knows about the Trogdor effect. We've all seen it in action, even if you didn't know it was happening or what it is properly called. You go for a group ride and you are that guy. Your chain keeps skipping around your cassette despite the fact that it was perfect last night when you did your pre-ride tune. You get a flat and CO2 inflator is hosed, or your pump head has junked out and the little plastic piece that actually makes contact with the valve has worn away to the point that it doesn't work anymore. Or you actually crash and don't notice for several hundred yards that you cracked your brake hosing and will now need to nurse you steed back home. When you get to the brake point of your ride you suddenly realize you forgot to stuff your Clif Bar in your pack.

Sometimes the Trogdor factor shows itself in other ways. You try a strange setup with your drivetrain and your cassette actually eats your freehub body. Or you fall over on your bicycle at five miles per hour and when you stand up you find your front wheel has exploded like you just overshot a landing and ate a forty footer. Or you are JRA (just riding along) and your rear derailleur explodes into pieces like it was hit by a very talented sniper.

Some of us have had weeks like that; some of us have had months. All you can really do is pray that next week you’ll get to call someone else Trogdor and point.