Bicycle Love

I have always liked biking around, but many summers ago, I spent a summer biking an hour each way to work at the farm, and then two summers ago, my friend Rebecca decided to challenge herself not to drive for  the month of June except when it felt absolutely necessary.  She's cool like that and inspired me to start riding my bike to work.  I fell in love with the commute and ended up riding almost every day until it snowed in November.  I had purchased a new bike that spring and probably made its cost worth back in saved gas money that summer.

Anyways, it was a great summer, but then the next year I got a new job, and it messed up my biking groove, because I now work in a stuffier office tower downtown with nowhere to change and nowhere to stash my bike.  I haven't been able to overcome the obstacles, so my bike didn't get nearly as much use last summer as it had previously.  Sad.

Anyways, another strike came against my little bike when I got a flat tire riding home from my parents' house last fall. It sat in the garage all winter just waiting for me to fix it.

As much as I love biking, I don't know much about how to fix them.  I always feel a little embarrassed about it because generally I like doing little repairs on things and like to know how to take care of my stuff.  So, when my friend Caylie invited me to take a basic bike maintenance course at the Bikeworks, I jumped at the chance.  It cost only five bucks, and I took my flat tire with me and they totally showed me how to patch it!  So great.

Also, Caylie's tire was a bit wonky and wavy, so they showed her how to "true her spokes" as I breathed down her neck in fascination until she asked if I wanted to try.  It was so awesome. 

You just put your tire in this stand, spin it and carefully watch for the places that are scraping and tighten the spokes accordingly.  Caylie and I nerded out and compared it to editing, because it requires such careful attention and detail. Anyways, I ended up buying a membership and definitely plan on going back to learn more. I definitely recommend checking it out.  Like right now.  Go do it.