Being new to a bicycle and not really having a manufacturers recommended service schedule as you do with a car, knowing when to replace components can be a little tricky at times.  I had noticed that my rear tire seemed to have a odd bulge in it.  Upon further inspection, a colleague showed me stretch marks in the tire and told me that a blowout was imminent.

Unlike a car, when you have  blowout, there are not 3 other wheels.  While the more dangerous one for both a car and bike are the wheels that do the steering, it is still very scary and shocking when a wheel blows much like the surprise you get when a balloon pops, only you are riding on the balloon!

Getting replacement parts

Normally I am a bargain shopper, getting the best product I can find at the best price.  This normally means online retailers with free shipping and no tax as opposed to retail stores with retail pricing and tax on top.  I usually can wait a few days or a week since I plan ahead and usually have spares on hand.  In this case I could not wait and did not have a spare on hand.  With anything rubber and flexible, you don’t want to store it and then expect it to be in perfect condition unless you can keep it from the air in a vacuum.  A good example would be expiration dates on those little “safe” devices us grownups use 🙂  Though they are sealed..perhaps that is a gimmick in itself.

I trotted down to the local bike shop, there are many in a big city which is nice, trying to find a specific tire.  No such luck, but definitely many choices and leave it to an expert to help me choose.  I ended up with a Continental Grand Prix 4000s.  I had heard about these and after recommendations, took the plunge and spent the $60, minus WABA member discount on it.  My plan was to order another when I got home for the front wheel which was not in nearly as bad shape, but my bike was dangerous to ride.

While I was at it..

While I was taking apart my bike, I decided to do a few more things which made me feel like I was giving my bike a good overhaul, though I really did not replace many of the parts at all.

• Replaced Tire
• Saved the thorn proof tube and installed a lighter one for speed 🙂
• Cleaned the bike since I had the wheels off.
• Lubed the drive chain (Well “waxed” with White Lightening)
• Replaced the rear brake pads, since I had the wheel off and I use them more than I should, I have been told.
• Replaced the sweaty nasty padding in my helmet.  Mine came with an extra set.
• Picked up my gloves that were special ordered for me. I had lost a glove about 3 weeks ago and they finally came in to the local shop.

So…when I rode in to work it was nice having a comfy helmet, 2 gloves, a near silent drive train, and a new tire which was not going to blow out on me at any moment.

No manuals

As you can see, the things I did were totally based on my riding and would be different for everyone.  I would recommend checking your breaks and certainly your tires.  If you leave your bike outside, there are quite a few things you need to check.  It is better that you don’t leave it outside if possible and definitely not when it’s raining to prolong the life of your bike components.

• Tires for Sun Rot
• Chain and Drive Train for Rust and Binding.  You will want to lube your chain often.

Happy Riding!

It’s My Birthday, I can Bike if I want to!

While I will likely take the day off from work being a Friday and all, and I have never gotton into the habit of making that day each year a “Holiday.”  This year would be perfect.

A little history about my biking….as a child….LOL…Yeah, I had a Thundercats big wheel plastic trike, and the little red 3 wheel bike and finally a bike with training wheels which eventually became a 2 wheel bike once I learned to balance.  I do remember those days..not too long ago.  Oh, perhaps I should not admit it took me a very long time to learn to ride a bike.  🙂

Now in the 2 wheel world….I had a mountain bike for most of my life…as I got into high school and college, I tended not to spend much if any time biking, I did not even have a bike when I was at college.  The last bike my parents bought me was a Yellow Huffy.  I wish I could remember the model, but I cannot even locate it online.  It was in good shape, I even took it on a road bike trip with Camp Casowasco from the camp location on Owasco Lake to the Adirondack’s location in upstate New York.  That trip was thankfully shortly after my trip with the Boy Scouts to Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimaron, New Mexico because my parents had filled by bike tubes with a green glop, the kind that prevents flat tires by automatically sealing them, and I had to pedal even when going DOWN a hill!  LOL.  If I could go back in time and have a road bike with a few spare tubes instead 🙂

Skipping very far forward….about 14 years….April 2008.  I happily took public transportation from Dupont Circle to Georgetown University using the GUTS Bus.  It was just a short walk from my apartment to the bus and a crowded, but quick ride to the campus.  Apparently there was a meeting and it was decided by the yuppies and other non-working retired folk with 3 housekeepers, a butler, and likely a gardener, that only public transportation, that was truly usable by all was to travel through Georgetown between 20th and 37th streets NW.  Since the GUTS bus was only usable by those employed by the University and the Hospital, it was to be routed up Mass Ave until it hit Wisconsin Ave and then come back down on Wisconsin to Reservoir and into campus.  WOW.   Last time I checked, one side of a triangle is always less than the other 2 combined which is basically when we were asked to do.  So…this means more gas, longer ride to work, longer time between the busses, and frustrated riders.  After one day on that new route…I had had it!  Apparently this route is the non-rush hour route…but when you are needing to get to work….we want the shortest trip available.

I walked to work the following day…and checked out bikes that night.

I never rode the GUTS bus again.  I had ridden it for close to 2 years every day and stopped cold turkey.  No, I did not have any kind of withdrawl, though some days I did take the city bus which was allowed to travel down Q st.

After trying out a few bikes I settled on a Giant TCR C2.  It is an all carbon frame, fork, and seat post with mostly Shimano Ultegra components and a few 105 and Race Face parts too.  Weighing in at just 17 pounds, I probably would not have been at the end of the bike camp trip!  Last year, on May 14, my coworkers birthday, was my first Bike to Work day.  At that time I had only been riding to work for about 3 weeks so I have many more stories to tell this year..including the incident with ice, and my bell replacement air horn!  Just for fun I think I will need to give a toot when I am in Freedom Plaza Bike Day this year.  I can use the excuse that it is my birthday 🙂

Dust of your bike and join me!

Not only does biking to taking public transportation benefit the environment, it also has a physical benefit too!  So leave the car parked at home, pump up your tires, and hit the road, yes you should not be on the sidewalk….  As a famous comedian put it…”We park on a driveway and drive on a parkway.”  In this case….walking should be done on a sidewalk 🙂

The following image was taken from an email sent by waba.org.  It was so nice and of course has by birthday on it.

 

Today’s Safety Tip…..

Bikes obey the same laws as motor vehicles

While not needing a drivers license, cyclists are to ride on the road or bike paths where available.  This is really for your safety.  Of course on highways, I think there are signs prohibiting horses, bikes, and pedestrians.

I won’t get into the issues here..but let’s just say, I have been disrespected by cars enough times that I ran out and ordered an Air Zoud air horn!  All it takes are a few pumps from your bike pump and the light bottle of air is ready to give you 115Db of Soccer Mom attention!