Dec 04 2008
Bike Repairs and Friends
What would Sheldon Brown do? Today a co-worker asked me to work on their bike. Because people know I ride a bike, work on my own bikes, and have been known to help others out, I get asked every now and then. So it was no surprise when I was asked today. When asked I sometimes will agree to take a look or do the work, but today I said no to the surprise of the person asking.
When I questioned the person asking they stated what the issues were and said they just didn’t want to spend the 50 to 70 dollars a bicycle shop would want. My response was,”So my time isn’t worth anything?” Of course that generated all kinds of excuses including, “The last time you worked on my bike it was better than the work the bike shop did.” This person knows trying to psychologically work on me is fruitless, so I guess he is being honest. 
In the end I informed him I would help with his bike. He questioned the help I was offering, so I told him to bring his bike around to my place on Friday or Saturday. I would supply the bike stand, tools, and information he would need to repair his bike. Later today I will also send a link to Sheldon Brown’s Bicycle Technical Info web site with instructions to check the information and look to see if he can figure out what is wrong with his bike.
Nothing takes the place of hands on learning and the gratification you gain from learning how to be self reliant. Repairs become one less excuse not to ride.
Over here in NL where everyone cycles, very few people do their own bicycle maintenance. There are about as many people who are bicycle enthusiasts interested in maintenance as anywhere else, but most people are simply not interested in using their bike for anything except travelling around.
Instead, the majority ride reliable bikes with enclosed chains, hub brakes, hub dynamos, hub gears and very puncture resistant tyres. They also have fenders, skirt guards, and the enclosed chains also help with making them practical for all weather cycling without getting dirty. These bikes are an enabling technology for mass cycling.
When it is needed, maintenance is relatively cheap at the many bike shops, all of which offer loan bikes while yours is being repaired. There are also bike shops at all shopping centres and all railway stations so you can have your bike repaired while you are doing something else.
It’s all part of making cycling an easy thing for people to do.
I have a cassette sitting in a box where it has been for a year now waiting for me to install it. You want to do it for me?
I am not a very good mechanic. I surprise myself now and then and fix something and it actually works.
David: That is the difference between the Netherlands and the U.S. is having a bicycle as part of the country’s culture or being part of a country’s sub-culture. Here in the U.S. I think cycling is in it’s early infancy and struggling to make inroads into a car centric culture. But it needs to start somewhere. My commuter bike is a Giant touring bike which is equipped with fenders, excellent puncture resistant tires (Specialized Armadillo’s), disc brakes for wet weather, lights, and panniers.
It has gears because of hills in the area I live and commute through. When I leave my door I have a steep 1 mile long hill to start my day no matter where I am going and my commute is about 35% uphill. Although it does make for a fair amount of downhill fun.
CyclingRed: Next time I am in your area, I will do the work for a cycling tour of the best places to ride.