So I decided to make the most out of my day off by doing a little spring cleaning on my bike. I've had my Jamis Explorer for a couple of years now, and I'm trying to make it last for years and years to come by actually maintaining it. I let my last bike rust and deflate outside of my dormitory at KU, and it was a bad decision.
Anyway, I've never done any sort of bike work before (unless you count attaching a headlight to my handlebars), so I had to depend on an expert's help. I considered reading Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance (which is supposed to be the best bike handbook you can buy), but Zinn was a little out of my depth: the book seemed to be too thorough and technical for my needs. All I really wanted to know was what I could do with $20 and a few hours to make my bike ride better longer.
Fortunately, I came across Fred Milson's Complete Bike Maintenance at my local library. Milson's text is much briefer than Zinn's. I also has lots of color pictures with little red arrows on them and chapters with titles like "Know Your Bike" and "Instant Bike Care." Yep, I knew right away that this was the book for me! I gave my bike a quick wash, a thorough lubing, and stuck it back in the garage.
Overall, I'm not sure that my work made an immediate difference. My bike was very clean to begin with (I rarely ride off-road or in bad weather), and all its components seemed well oiled (though grimy) before I started. But the process gave me a chance to be outside and listen to the radio and get grease under my fingernails and feel all handy and capable and coordinated. And I don't get to feel coordinated very often. ;)
So now that my bike's ready, all that I'm waiting for is spring. Real spring, not this misty, gray-skied, dismal, 40 degrees and windy crap we've been having. I'm ready for green fields and warm breezes and flowers and all that good stuff. So get a move on, spring! I'm waiting!
2 comments:
I have been looking at biking photos in Copenhagen when they ride in all weathers-- in heels, no less! It is supposed to inspire me to ride even in crummy weather. I'm still working on it. At this point, I've checked the tires to see if they have air!
Les, you have inspired me! Thx for giving my old bike a cleaning and lube! I'm going to challenge Spring too! uh - chanlleng it to a bike ride! Spring cleaning.....not so much! tee=hee
Post a Comment