I can straighten the handlebars on my Broad Ripple SUV. I can lube the chain. I can track down and patch the leak in the front tube, or replace it as necessary. I can adjust the brakes.
But when you add all those chores together, plus trying to figure out whether that front rim is bent or not, just taking it to the new bike shop around the corner and saying "Dudes, give this thing a tune-up," gets mighty attractive. Especially because I want it in good shape for pedaling to the Arts Festival this weekend and there's no way I could even begin procrastinating between now and then. (Plus, you know, I can rationalize it as supporting a local business.)
"...and there's no way I could even begin procrastinating between now and then."
ReplyDeleteThere's a support group for us. I'll see if I can get around to mailing you an invitation.
Aw, just take it in. It's good for your LBS and they might catch a problem you missed.
ReplyDeleteBack in my serious pedaling days, I would do the vast majority of my tuning myself, and with good results. And I'd still take the machine in to the local shop every spring for a once-over and tuneup. They had more/better/appropriate tools for the job, and would usually catch something I hadn't quite gotten right or had simply overlooked. Well worth the $40-50 they were charging at the time.
ReplyDeletePedaling a squeaky wobbly bike would feel sillier.
ReplyDeleteWhen you do get it worked out and pedal to the art fest, please make sure you give "greener-than-thou" looks to all the Prius jockeys who I'm sure will be in attendance.
ReplyDeleteFor years, I always found working on my bike to be cathartic. Regular maintenance and a biannual tune-up were things I loved doing myself.
ReplyDeleteThen I was in a minor accident and the bike needed some work, but I had a full calendar for the weekend, and I needed the bike on Sunday. So I dropped the bike off at the local bike shop.
They did a great job. The bike was riding just like I would have if I had spent all day Saturday with it, only it took them - 3 hours.
That is when I discovered that I could afford to let them do the work for me, and I could use the time to do other things that I also enjoyed doing. Plus, I know I can tune-up the bike on my own anytime I want to, I've just found that my time is better spent doing other things.
Besides, the kid at the bike shop likes working on my "dinosaur". I just don't understand, why he would ever think my 1979 Raleigh Super Grande Prix was a dinosaur?
That's the reason I have tunes by my LBS, even though I can do it all myself: to support a local business.
ReplyDeleteWe used to have a Schwinn dealer here that was great as a bike shop. When Schwinn bikes went Walmart, they couldn't compete with all the junk selling at big box stores and closed up shop.
Unless it's some killer ebay or craigslist deal on a major component, I go to the LBS to buy what I need.
I've found out years ago that the frame mounted water bottle holder keeps my k-frames in perfect position for quick access. We ride the woods round here,and i loves my camelback for water,and discovered how painful it is to land on a belt mounted revolver.
ReplyDeleteCIII
Hmm, Procrastination Good for Economy - Might want to sell that as a topic for a Phd Dissertation :)
ReplyDeleteGo for it, Wikipedia ain't gonna read itself you know.
ReplyDeleteHow did you attach K frame to bottle cage?
ReplyDeleteClip holster?
~Glamdring