Let’s Go Ride a Bike, a blog that’s a lot of fun, is now hosting a really enchanted event that’s being run by Trish and Dottie. They already encourage average people to get on their bikes and ride for the sheer enjoyment of it, but with the creation of the LGRAB Summer Games, they have pushed this motivation to a whole new level. They are thinking that if they provide incentives in the form of awards for participating in activities that are linked to cycling, we would all become better cyclists. Some of the criteria are enjoyable, while others are necessary for gaining experience.

Bike Maintenance

Take for example this particular session. Dottie and Trish advised that you undertake some kind of bike maintenance, whether it be a major or little chore. My riding partner and I were aware of the best course of action to take. Both of us are married to slick gentlemen who are more than happy to attend to the myriad of minute particulars on our behalf. My hubby has always handled the problem cheerfully whenever I’ve had a flat tyre. It is so nice to be pampered, but it is not going to make my life any simpler when I am five miles away from home with glass embedded in my tyre.

My friend who is also a cyclist asked her husband, who is a great bike lover and a cyclocross monster, to teach us how to replace a tyre and how to oil the chain on our own bikes. He agreed to do so. It is still a mystery to me how we were able to trick him into giving instruction to two snarky ladies.

There are no photographs showing each phase of the process here. I am just not competent to offer directions, and I don’t want to have to deal with the hassle of more experienced individuals pointing out the specific ways in which I botched the task. However, you should know that even someone as mechanically inept as I am is capable of completing the task at hand.

A Few Notes, However:

* The hardest part is getting the tire off and back on the rim, since you’re stretching the not-very-flexible rubber with your hands. Tire levers are your friends.

* He suggests starting near the valve when removing the tire.

* Having strong hands really helps. Guess I’ll work on that.

* I really need to get a repair kit in a little bag for emergencies.

By comparison, lubing the chain was a snap. After deciding against the spray version (too much oil in the air), it was just a matter of dripping a bit of oil on each link as I slowly turned the pedal backward. He said the ideal time to lube was after a ride, even though you’re thinking more about a shower than bike care. That timing allows the oil to get into the chain’s nooks and crannies while the bike is waiting for its next ride. Oil applied pre-ride has more of a chance to pick up road grime, which only increases chain gunk.

I rarely watch TV, but I’m tempted to pick a program and sit with a wheel to practice getting the tire changed, just so it doesn’t take me 20 minutes on a blazing hot or bone-chilling cold day when I’m stranded by the side of the road. We’ll see.

Thanks for taking the time to increase my bike maintenance know-how!