For a couple weeks now I have been planning a ride to the Oregon coast to coincide with my son’s trip to summer camp. I have spent hours with my AAA road map and a highlighter tracing interesting looking roads up and down the coast for me to explore while my son is engaged in camp activities. The adventure starts Sunday morning.

My friend Jon very graciously loaned me his Nelson-Rigg RiggPak set-up and a handful of RokStraps to tie everything down. I have made list after list of things to pack. I have added things to the list, only to take them back off after further consideration of weight, space and utility.

Finally, Saturday morning, I am ready to roll the bike out of the garage for a pre-ride check. I do this weekly and before any major ride. As I circled the bike looking for anything amiss I see that my front wheel is covered in oil. Not good. Upon closer inspection it is apparent that a fork seal has developed a leak and covered my front wheel and brake disc with fork oil.

Just like that, my plans have changed.