BIKE: Mike
TIME THERE: 29 min.
TIME BACK: 29 min.
WEATHER: overcast, -8C, 9 km/hr wind there; clear, -3C, 6 km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: fleece pants, turtleneck, fleece mid-layer jacket, lobster gloves, balaclava
NOTES:
Don't die on me now, Mikey!! STAY WITH ME!!!
Over the weekend I took it upon myself to try to clean Mike up a bit. I took some bike cleaner and a wire brush and some lubricant and went to town on the chain and gears. It was a remarkably messy and disgusting task, and since I was doing this on my uninsulated front porch in my pajamas, it was freezing work as well. As I started, I found it remarkable that Mike was working at all, given the state of his chain. It was so encrusted with filth - snow, dirt, road salt - that some links wouldn't bend as they went around the gears. Working the pedals backwards with one hand as I tried to clean everything with my other hand, I found that I would hardly get through one rotation before the chain would fall out of place and get stuck. How did I ever let you get so injured, Mike?? How the hell did you manage to work under those conditions?
This week, everything has continued to feel just a little bit off with good ol' Mikey. Everything feels just a little bit creaky, the stem has to be tightened at the end of each day, the chain sometimes skips a bit as I pedal along . . . and there's the knowledge, too, that the last time I took him in to get some spokes replaced, I was told that the back rim is "untrue" (I don't think that means that it cheated on me) and if more spokes break on it then the whole rim will likely have to be replaced. Oh, Mikey, I've ridden you hard, it's true - but do you have to give up on me so soon? It's hardly been six months!! At least make it through the winter for me, hon - do it for old time's sake.
I'm planning to take Mike to a self-serve car wash this weekend and give him a really good high pressure wash. Hopefully that'll do him some good. Get him all spiffy, lube him up, and maybe he'll ride as good as new by next week! Until then, I just hope he makes it through the rest of the week. Now that it's so mild and everything's melting, he just might have a chance . . .
I can't believe how hard winter (and this one in particular) is on bikes. I replaced my chain and casssette last fall and have recently had to do it again. I think that's a personal record for blowing through parts. The way the streets are these days, if you clean and lube after every ride it's still not enough, and it'll get worse as everything melts.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your drive train (chain, cassette and possibly crank and derailleur) is on its last legs, and the chain skipping will probably get worse until you switch out those parts. Have you ever been to EBC (edmontonbikes.ca)? They sell parts cheaper than the bike shops and will show you how to install them.
I'd be happy to give you some tips on winter maintenance. I'm a bike mechanic at EBC as well as at ECOS on campus, where I take care of their bike library. If you wanted, you could bring your bike into ECOS, hidden in the basement of SUB, on tuesdays or fridays between 11am & 1pm (but not this coming friday) and we could have a look at the damage (including the headset & wheel - "untrue" means that it's not perfectly round & straight). Anyone at EBC could show you this, as well.
Also, if you use a pressure washer on your bike, be very careful not to spray it at any of the bearings systems (aka moving parts - hubs, bottom bracket, headset) because it's very easy to wash the grease right out and invite rust & corrosion.
I've been enjoying your blog and am glad to see someone else toughing out winter commuting in E-town!
Coreen
AWESOME!! I will definitely try to stop by the ECOS office next week - are you open over Reading Week? I could definitely use some tips on how to take better care of my rusty, trusty bike. For someone who hasn't ridden a bike since elementary school, trying this year-long commuting thing has been a huge learning experience. I'm so glad there are veteran winter-riders like you out there who are willing to show newbies like me the ropes!!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for reading along! :) I just checked out your blog, too, and it looks awesome. You've earned yourself a new follower!
Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI will be in during reading week, and it should be a perfect time because it'll be quieter than usual. The bike library is beyond the narrow ECOS hallway, next to the safewalk lounge - it's kind of hard to find. And don't mind the "no bikes in the building" signs, as there are actually lots of bikes in the building ;-)