Monday, April 1, 2013

bicycle spring


Every spring the household bicycles begin sounding like arthritic Golden Retrievers.  They shuffle when they change gears.  They stumble at the starting line when the traffic light turns green.  They squeak like unenthusiastic field mice when called upon to corner.  Winters here are so mild as to barely earn the moniker winter but it does rain and we do ride a lot and by spring, just when the bicyclists begin to feel their oats the bicycles are feeling their age.  

A month or so back the Contraption Captain decided to investigate why his bicycle was softly saying "wibble-wibble-wibble-wibble."  Turns out the rear wheel was missing two spokes.  Fortunately the average bicycle has many many spokes, n +a_bunch and so for awhile he did nothing at all, a situation sure to cue horror from more attentive bicyclists.  I know people who spend time cleaning their bicycle after every ride and I totally salute those people in the same way I salute people who can fold their towels so that they line up perfectly in the linen closet and then they bundle each set of towels with an organic ribbon so it's ready to set out on a perfectly made guest room bed when company arrives.  Go those people!

But I am not one of them and neither is the Contraption Captain.  My bicycle gets ridden (mostly back and forth to work, but other errands as well) about four thousand miles each year.  I wear a chain out something like once every eighteen months.  My brakes wear down and need replacing and sometimes a cable gets used up.  Some of the wear could be minimized but not a lot and the happy news is that bicycles just don't need a lot of attention and most of the attention they do need can wait until the problems reach such a point that they are totally driving you up the wall with their wailings and grindings of gears and you break (brake) down and do some repairing or if you are me you look soulful until Contraption Captain does the repairing.  

The spokes and the wibbling and more worrying, the something Not Quite Right with the rear brakes worked on Contraption Captain until he took his bicycle out of commission a week back and Rapunzel, Pele and I crowded into the shop (technically a garage but we call it the shop because our car hasn't been indoors since...well...ever..) to stare at the Tour Easy which he had tied to the ceiling. 

What happened next:
  1. replace 2 broken spokes, including trimming length and re-threading replacements
  2. re-true the wheel
  3. repack the wheel bearings
  4. replace worn bearing surfaces on axle

Notably, what did not happen?  Correct.  The rear brake is still not totally okay where by "not okay" I mean "the brake does not stop the bike."  Fortunately the front brake works.  For now.  

How'd we manage while down a bicycle?  Mostly ok.  Pele had soccer training on Saturday and Sunday and I bicycled out to drop her off and collect her.  She's a not so little anymore workhorse who is happy to pedal to a practice because of the chance to get some additional cardio done.  Her bicycle is just visible to the left in this picture just as the front wheel of my bicycle is just visible to the right.

What is not visible?  The orange flag on a stick that I made Contraption Captain buy and mount to the back of Pele's bicycle.  The flag was the newest manifestation of my compulsive need to barricade my family from cars.  Pele now has two (two!  wtf, two?) rear view mirrors and one orange flag and a bicycle helmet.  I haven't started pricing out Kevlar vests just yet but I suppose it's on the horizon somewhere.  

Anyways.  Stay tuned to find out the answers to burning questions like:  Does Contraption Captain fix his rear brake?  Do I find a way to install a cow-catcher to the front of Pele's bicycle?  Do I surreptitiously add a klaxon to Rapunzel's bicycle?

    10 comments:

    1. Happy to see you are writing again!

      Not happy that you feel the need to write because of the reasons you stated two posts back, but happy that there is another "normal" * human being who is writing (only with better erudition than I could hope for)about the same things that worry me. I wish you courage and many quiet, peaceful rides for you and CC and Pele.

      * "normal" being somebody who doesn't have a fetish for Martha Stewart :)

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Wait. Did you also see that Martha post about how to fold your towels? I was all like "holy linen closet, batman! those towels are unstoppable!" As for my towels they are. Ummm. Clean. Also not on the floor.

        Delete
    2. Nice, I've used the overhead hoist method for recumbent maintenance too.

      It was still 33 degrees here in Ohio at lunch when I rode home for lunch. I am so ready for spring and warm weather.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Sending hopeful "time for spring to sprung" thoughts your way.

        Delete
    3. Ahh yes, arthritic golden retrievers all around here.
      I had a brake failure on my "main" bike, which ended up being more complicated than just replacing the brake cable and housing, so I now I have a bike taken apart in the family room until the part arrives.

      The "secondary" bike's front wheel is so out of true that strangers riding by comment in alarm. We're talking at least 1/2" maybe more. Since it's a hub brake, not a rim brake it's not as bad as they think it is, but it's starting to affect handling, so really when bike #1 is back, I'll should take the wheel apart and start from scratch on building a new wheel.

      Right now, the only bike that "works" is the bakfiets, although it doesn't have a front brake attachment, so it's not really 100% either.

      I guess I could ride the touring bike, but then I can't wear my normal work clothes, so I guess I'll just keep limping along...

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Contraption Captain sometimes points out that with the cost of a car, car maintenance, and car insurance, a bicyclist can easily get multiple bicycles: cargo, road, commuter, hobby-horse.

        Anyways best wishes for your repairs to go easily.

        Delete
    4. I ride 4000 miles a year to. And two spokes missing? Over the years I've heard it when one spoke snaps and by the time I got home the wheel was auditioning for a role as a banana. Twice I have snapped a rear spindle (axle rod) too. But i'm not fat. I just carry all of my gear in pannier bags over the back wheel. Including spare innertubes for road and mtb bikes so like you do with lights I offer my services to cyclists stranded with a flat tyre and no spare. There should be more people like us.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. There should be more people like you, my friend, less so bad-tempered bicyclists like myself. Helping stranded bicyclists is one of the purest acts of generosity out there.

        Delete
    5. Thanks for making me smile today, I really needed it!

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. So glad to hear that, hope you are well. Speaking of needing good news, I really loved this: http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2013/04/04/guerrilla-road-safety-group-politely-installs-illegal-bike-lane-protectors-on-cherry-street/ ...sounds like the sort of thing you would be involved in.

        Delete