Friday, July 25, 2003
SPOKE SPEAK
I am relatively new to bicycles in terms of maintaining them and using them on a daily basis. Of course as a kid, I was on a bike almost every day, but once I grew up, I didn't have a bike with me through my life. The blue Giant I ride now was a hand me down from my brother (actually as a part of a loan payoff deal). And when I got it years ago, I would ride it every once in a while, at college, did a few off road single track rides, one of which slightly bent the rim and resulted in the bike hanging from the homestead barn ceiling at the Harmony House for a couple years.
When I pulled it out and decided I could take advantage of my location and commute to work it needed a little work. After cleaning it up though, one problem persists. Every so often I pop a spoke, or two. This has resulted in about 6 spokes popping over the lastfew months, most of them on the crank side of the back wheel. This time I think it happened when I rolled over a thick twig/branch? on the road from the storms the last couple nights.
Yesterday, when 2 went on me, I decided to finally make the leap to changing them on my own. So I gingerly rolled into the bike shop along my route home and bought four spokes (two extra) and a set of tire levers. Do you believe I checked my receipts from past work, and saw that they charged me over $20 for 2 spokes previously (that was with labor)? I encourage you to learn your own bike mechanical skills as well in order to turn a $20+ job into a $2 job (cost of the spokes).
So I'll let you know how the maintenance goes after I set down to do it this weekend. Gonna go to a BBQ tonight. Am making Tabouli salad with cucumber and basil from my garden, and taking some marinated tofu to grill. Peace.
Comments to: franklenblog(at)fastmail(dot)fm
When I pulled it out and decided I could take advantage of my location and commute to work it needed a little work. After cleaning it up though, one problem persists. Every so often I pop a spoke, or two. This has resulted in about 6 spokes popping over the lastfew months, most of them on the crank side of the back wheel. This time I think it happened when I rolled over a thick twig/branch? on the road from the storms the last couple nights.
Yesterday, when 2 went on me, I decided to finally make the leap to changing them on my own. So I gingerly rolled into the bike shop along my route home and bought four spokes (two extra) and a set of tire levers. Do you believe I checked my receipts from past work, and saw that they charged me over $20 for 2 spokes previously (that was with labor)? I encourage you to learn your own bike mechanical skills as well in order to turn a $20+ job into a $2 job (cost of the spokes).
So I'll let you know how the maintenance goes after I set down to do it this weekend. Gonna go to a BBQ tonight. Am making Tabouli salad with cucumber and basil from my garden, and taking some marinated tofu to grill. Peace.
Comments to: franklenblog(at)fastmail(dot)fm
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