| Re: Make your neighbor cry and hug you: fix their bike!
On 18 Jan 2007 14:01:31 -0800, "landotter" <landotter@gmail.com>
wrote:
>>
>> On a balmy evening last August, my dog walking neighbor (professor)
>> stopped to chat as I was replacing an exhaust system. He made a
>> sympathetic remark about what a shame it was to be under a car on such a
>> nice day. I flipped my goggles up, took a long pull on my Tecate, and
>> told him this was the perfect thing to be doing, and I meant it! It made
>> me wonder if he had ever fixed anything. Fixing stuff makes me happy,
>> and if I can make someone else happy too, like you did, that's a bonus.
>
>Yeah, the neighbors seemed a bit guilt ridden as it was pretty obvious
>that I'd spent the better part of three evenings puttering on the bike
>till I reminded them that it's usually fun. I've got a beer fridge and
>a radio in the garage, and doing mindless mechanical stuff with one
>hand and drinking a brew with the other can be a quite satisfying way
>to relax. Beats whittling, that's for sure.
Four or five years ago I tuned a mixte-frame mountain bike for a
neighbour. I told them that if they ever wanted to get rid of it to
call me. Last year I fixed a 70's era ten speed for them.
New Year's Day they invited me over and gave me the bike I'd fixed
four years ago. It had seen maybe 100 miles in that time.
Knowing their limited amount of bicycling I didn't change the tires
on the ten-speed but told them that if they start getting flats to
buy new tires and I'll change them. We'll see if that happens.
Meanwhile the mixte MTB frame I wanted is going to get attached to
the Xtracycle. My shop's a little crowded right now with a Norco and
a Miyata in pieces. Never a chance to get bored around here.
--
zk
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