Autumn Update

   I felt a bit disappointed not having some interesting ride to report on, after having pedaled over so many fun-packed routes the past couple of months. My work on the blog this time around focused on better organizing some of the links to aid my business, as I am trying to move more away from Facebook after growing frustration with that social media platform.
   I had been listing bicycles on Marketplace for years without any issues, though I never understood why they limited a seller's ability to renew the ads. Every month or so, I had to click the alternate button to "delete and relist". I always questioned the need to show how long an item has been listed, as it seems to just invite "Is this still available?" inquiries or ridiculously low offers from prospective buyers who think you may be desperate to unload your item.
   Now there has been a limit put on the "delete and relist" function. To add to the fun, when I manually deleted my listings and attempted to completely start each of them over, I received a notice that my ads required identity verification because of "unusual activity"on my account. As anyone who has attempted to remedy any problems with Facebook will know, there is no customer service, so I couldn't find out what exactly the problem was.

   I had to laugh when I found the only option available was to receive a special code via text message, which is difficult for anyone not using a cell phone. We have an emergency flip phone, and I hesitated to use it, but faced with no option, I gave it a shot. Turns out we had used that phone earlier at some point to verify one of our accounts, and were locked out from doing so again!

   The hilarity continued when I found some third party Facebook support online, and the clueless person I spoke to (after mentioning my phone situation) suggested I have a code sent to me via text message. I reiterated that I had no smart phone, and the moron suggested I have a friend call to get the code. I sarcastically said, "Thanks," and hung up. Yes, we should all have to rely on friends to make calls to help us straighten out our own internet issues - and what happens when that friend has a problem, needs to verify, and his or her phone is locked out because of a previous verification to another account?!!

   No, we're not quite done, as out of desperation, I deleted all my pending listings and attempted to enter them one at a time, once per day. thinking maybe it was the volume of items I had tried to enter. Strangely the only thing that happened was the "Please take action on this listing" alert showed up in a different color. Ooooh, pink instead of gold!

   Anyway, you may notice that I have shuffled around the "gadgets" in the blog's right-hand margin and included my contact info and shop hours up front. I have also simplified my service menu/price list for 2025 and improved the visibility of that link. If you are fairly new reader of this blog, don't miss the links to Trail Tales or the series of rides in Historic Philadelphia - maybe you'll be inspired to try some new pedaling territory in the New Year!

   Sure, I enjoy the cooler (not cold!) cycling weather that comes in November, but the college football rivalries and holidays make it my favorite time of the year. The annual Cycle Tech ride events just add to the magic of the season. We had a wonderful time on the Turkey Trek a couple weekends ago, though I suppose that because we returned to a more traditional route (been there, done that), no one bothered to snap a photo.

   Please join us in a couple weeks for the Ride with Santa. We'll be doing our usual 31-mile route from Tech H.Q. out through Limerick on back roads and connecting trails to Schwenksville. We'll then head back to Royersford via the Perkiomen and Schuylkill Trails. More and more of the route seems to be paved every year, but there is still enough gravel to make off-road bikes necessary. String some lights to your machine (not a requirement, though a headlight is a really good idea) and bring your holiday spirit!

...and finally, I wanted to include photos of the Scapin bicycle I recently completed. The idea was to build up a high-quality Columbus steel frame with modern, affordable performance. Yes, I would normally consider a Shimano component group blasphemy on an Italian bike, but it meets the intended budget goal: