NOBR AKES
Bad weather for sledding this winter at least means fair weather for cycling, and while we aren't doing any recreational rides lately our riding for transportation hasn't slipped at all. What has slipped, though, is bike maintenance. The cargo bike has a rusty chain that grinds some, Zion's bike needs some serious oiling, and Harvey keeps getting after me to fix his brakes. I want to tell him his problems have got nothing on mine! Not on the cargo bike; carrying the precious cargo that is groceries or library books—oh, and Lijah too—I need to be sure of my stopping power. But on my work commuter, that I now ride just once a week, I have no stopping power at all.
It's not so bad: most of my ride is on the bike path, which besides being straight and close to level is also pretty empty in the winter. Not a lot can really go wrong. But the first part of the trip, after I drop the boys off with Grandma, is down a big hill towards a busy street. For the last several weeks—months?—I've found that on the steepest part of the hill, pulling the break lever as far as it can go will keep me from accelerating further, but it won't slow me down—to say nothing of bringing me to a stop. Never mind, that's why I wear boots with thick soles I can drag.
My history of deferred maintenance is a long one. And I haven't come to any serious grief yet! The worst part about the current situation is that I could fix it in just a couple minutes by putting on some new brake pads. I have the technology. But I never think of it until the morning I have to use the bike, and at that point I have no time. I've got to get the kids out the door and get to work! Then by the time I get home—and the ride away from work is all uphill—I'm ready to lay the thing aside and forget about it until next week. Of course, I was clearly thinking about it this evening, so I suppose I could have taken care of the problem... but I thought writing about it would be more interesting. And now it's time for bed. So, another time!
[If you're wondering about the post title, it's from this. Hard to believe I've been reading Bike Snob for 10 years!]