I got a call this week from a woman, I’ll call M, she happens to be a student at one of the prestigious higher educational institutes located along Mass. Ave. She told me she had what she called an accident with a bike she had bought for us this fall. Could I help her? The bike could not be ridden or wheeled to the shop.

So when I went to pick up what I expected to be perhaps a major repair, I was shocked to see that the whole front end of her bike had been crushed flat. It turns out that she had nearly gotten run over by a truck taking a right had turn after being stopped at a light. She said she was in the bike lane and the truck was in the next lane to her left. Traffic light changes, she assumed truck was headed straight…it wasn’t it took right hand turn; she goes straight and ran into the wheels…gets knocked off bike clear of the truck, but the bike gets run over. She is very lucky, minor bumps. However her bike is done for.

Our friend got to learn a very valuable life saving lesson with out serious injury. In all fairness, I had been hit three times while on bicycles and had to put down a motorcycle once, so I hold no judgment.

What I can say is this. Trucks are big, noisy, with lots and lots of blind spots. I used to drive one of those “Big Red Ones” back in the day….So I got to understand all about blind spots and not running things over. And because they were “Big Red Ones”…I got to see what happens when things like bicycles and trucks mix…the bikes always lose. And for the most part the riders do too, usually in a big way.

So now that we have arrived in prime bicycle riding weather….remember cars may be fast moving and trucks may be slower but, they can not stop easily nor see you in many cases at all. Always assume they can not see you and act accordingly.

Be seen and be safe!

Be Current Ride Vintage

Spring Cleanng

With winter not all that far behind...!

I did a boat load of yard maintenance last Sunday. You know all that yard clean up that no matter how much you clean, rake, etc. in the fall is always there just waiting for your attention. But I have to say it is always great to completely uncover winter’s fodder and see the various flowers and plants. It is sort of like bike maintenance, or other spring cleanings of sorts. All those bikes that get left outside all winter or have taken that winter beating which can make them old before their time. All cleaned up, looking like new.

So it is time to clean that bike…! Hot water, soap and elbow grease is a good start. A biodegradable grease cutter can be helpful also. How about a spring cleaning party for bikes with your best bike ridding buddies? Once done, out for dinner on newly cleaned rides.

After your initial cleaning, remember to take a good look at things like brake pads, cables (pull them grease and return), all those little things that make for a huge difference in your ride. A little oil on a rag or chain lube can go a long way for your chain. If you are up to it, do your own lube jobs. It makes a huge difference not only in the ride, but longevity of the bike. A clean bike is a happy bike!

Remember a well placed “Bike Me” (of course with a smile) from a newly cleaned bike is so better well received than form one that is not!

MacGyver…I reference this old television 1985 – 1992 show in a comment to Cranked blog. It was a blog about a set of pedals the author has had for years and the repairs/maintenance done to keep them running.

From Wikipedia…”The clever solutions MacGyver implemented to seemingly intractable problems—often in life-or-death situations requiring him to improvise complex devices in a matter of minutes—were a major attraction of the show, which was praised for generating interest in the applied sciences, and particularly engineering,…”

To be clear, I am not in any way, shape or form, implied or otherwise stating that I think we are MacGyver mechanics…in fact other than my fairly short stint in a bike shop in the 1980’s…all my previous experience was from being a kid with limited means. However, there are certainly those around that are for sure are deserving of that status. And we love chatting them up, never enough info can be shared. The day you stop learning…Well you fill in the blank!

What we do working on various old school vintage bicycles is sort of MacGyver-ish. It is a lot of hunt and peck through parts piles and draws of bolts and nuts. Try this then try that…Not giving up on a problem that if we had a new part would be easy…heck simple, but not a MacGyver challenge. So once in a while, we do MacGyver mechanics all to return a bicycle that has perhaps seen better days to the road. But will serve as a set of iron wings ready to whisk its rider of on yet another urban dash through the paved paths.

Come on by, we have some pretty obscure parts, knowledge, places to get a fix etc. We are happy to provide support to those that are attempting your MacGyver on your ride!

What better way to say BIKE ME than to resurrect a bike…or keep it on the road with a great MacGyver!

Be Current, Ride Vintage

Ride of the week...Phillips Butchers Bike...coming soon!