fix my bike

Umm, I believe I got my bike fixed and then rode it to work for several months. Then I got bored of riding the bike and switched to taking Muni in SF. Then I moved to Seattle and left my bike at the SF office….I’m going to need a create a new goal of buying a new bike :)

It is simply crazy how long I’ve had this as a goal but done nothing to accomplish it. I just bought new chains, tubes, etc to fix up three bikes. Now I’ve just got to do it! Timeframe -within the next two weeks or else.

Sky Blue, circa late 1970s. No idea what brand; no labels besides ‘Pro Tour’ and an address for a bike shop in Minneapolis or Chicago or someplace.
Bought it for ten dollars at a garage sale last summer, rode it everywhere, it got a super wicked flat, I got super wicked lazy.
Tonight, I changed the front tube and tire. Now the front looks super chic compared to the back..which is still worn down nylon. Definitely hadn’t been changed since manufacture. Anyway, the bike is usable.

Now I need to:
Change the back tire & tube.
Lube the chain.
Replace or fix the seat.
Get a new air pump.
Wash the whole damned thing.

Eventually I’ll have to replace the brakes & probably paint it, but that can wait for later. And yes, it’d be way cheaper to get a new bike.
But that’s not really what this is about.

didn’t write an entry on this, but my bike wheels got kicked in, in my neighborhood, while it was locked up outside. i was so sad about it, but then, for my birthday, we got my bike fixed. new wheels AND no more gears, hooray! one-speed-world here i come! i love the way the bike feels now, and i’m very happy with the work that these guys did (easy rider in lincoln square). i really wanted to do the work myself, but it would just be such a time-consuming event. the next thing i’d like to do is work on the brakes. they’re a little inconsistent, and they’re extremely bulky.

but i’m on my way!
:)

<3

too bad much of it seems to be rusted together. we’ll see if she is salvageable.

O. M. G.
Not bad for the first time taking my bike in 14 years.
The last time I rode her I was pregnant with ADD boy and my tummy was in the way when I peddled so I had to stop, then I had the daycare and two kids to care for, then my FM kicked in blah blah blah….

The Nutty Belgian had been borrowing my bike and McSmarty’s for the last 8 years. So when I went to hop on the seat had been raised like 4 inches! I did my best to lower it but I had the nice guy at the bike shop next to where DIY girl and I had lunch tighten it for me because it swiveled side to side.

from ADD boys bike. It’s a bell in the shape of a little tykes people. DIY girl still likes hers.

Now I just need to ride it for the first time in almost 14 years.

Love love love my bike but as it has to live outside it’s gotten a bit rusty over the months. The chain is easy enough to keep greased up but the breaks seem to have gotten very very stiff though which can’t be too safe. I’ll be moving soon and will have space to keep in indoors and out of the rain so once I get it spruced up it should be staying that way.

fixed the front brakes, swapped the back wheel, and put puncture seal in the tires. This makes the bike ridable. I still need to

• Adjust the rear derailluer
• Clean the rusted parts with WD-40
• Install a safety light for nighttime rides
• Buy a good lock

Eventually I will trick out the bike. I want to

• Get new handlebars—the road bike kind
• Replace the tires
• Paint the frame (bright orange? aqua?), and
• Install a detachable basket

My wife and I biked to Community Cycles in Boulder today. It was slow going, considering how badly my chain was slipping, but it’s mostly downhill that way, so not too bad.

Once we got there, there were people all over the place. We talked to a couple, and one of the main mechanics just threw my bike up on the stand, yanked off the chain, and sent me to dig through a box to find a good match. He came by in another minute and showed me why the first one I picked was better suited to my bike than the second (width), and took it over to the counter where he messed with it a bit and then put it on the bike.

He replaced the chain, adjusted the front and rear derailleurs, and showed me how to lube the rear brake cable (it was sticking). Everything was done, tested, and ready within half an hour, including the time it took for making small talk, and all the interruption that comes with being an excellent bike technician in a shop full of people learning how to work on bikes (questions galore).

Since I’m helping out with the web site, the director was trying to hook me up with accessories and stuff. That was really nice. I still offered a little as donation to the organization, though, because what they’re doing is so great. Also, the same work would’ve cost me upwards of $100 at a bike shop.

We rode probably 4 miles or so today, and the bike is working so well! I couldn’t be happier.