I finally broke down and threw my bike in a stand (I hate working on my own bikes - unless they are brand new). The last few weeks my creak has been getting worse and worse. It only really makes noise when I stand up, so I figured the BB needed some grease and tightening. I've ridden a few times in the rain, which is a lot for me, and when I took the crank off, a whole lotta water poured out of my frame. I cleaned out the shell, and then drilled a hole through the little bolt that holds the cable guide in place (using a drill bit that is just a little bit smaller than the allen head). Then I used the dremel inside the shell, to make sure that there wasn't a lip around the hole. Water problem solved! Then I greased up the the cups and tightened them back into the frame. It seems the FSA cranks have a tendency to loosen up a little bit, so you definitely need to torque them down to the higher torque settings. I think it was supposed to be 30-37ft-lbs, so I kept it right around 36-37ft-lbs. I rode it this morning, and the creak was gone - woohoo!

I also got to try out some new shoes today. Our new Shimano Tech rep (Tommy) came in today. He brought in the Shimano custom fitting machine (like an easy bake oven with a vacuum attached). Both MeanTodd and I got some of the heat moldable shoes. Todd got the M300, and I got both the Road and the Mountain. My 2 pair of Carnacs are getting pretty played out, and I figured it would be good to go on my trip with decent shoes. I was a little worried when the shoes arrived. The 48 seemed a little tight, but it is the biggest size they make. After Tommy took us through the custom fit process, the shoes did actually stretch just a hair, and they feel great. I rode the this morning and they were great. By "great" I mean that I didn't even think about them - no hot spots, tight spots, pinching, rubbing, etc. Sweet!

Now I'm still contemplating that Garmin...