Make your neighbor cry and hug you: fix their bike! - Page 2

01-18-2007, 11:18 AM

Great post. Since we moved into our new place this spring, 90% of the
neighbor's I've met I met because I fixed their kids bicycle. It seems
I'm the only one on the block with a pump, patches, tools or knowledge
and word's gotten out I've got all of the above. I truly enjoy it
about 98% of the time. When there's a cute little 5 year old with a
flat tire knocking on my door at 8AM on a sunday just as I sit down to
breakfast, it can be a smidge of a pain for a couple minutes. It's
still well worth it. <g>

I must say, with the amount the pump is "needed" on weekend days I
sometimes wonder if they're making the stuff up!

I've yet to actually meet an adult riding in the area, but helping the
kids is fun & usually results in my meeting their parents. I'll be
waiting for one of their bikes...

01-18-2007, 01:01 PM

Peter Cole wrote:
> landotter wrote:
>
> > I don't lend bike tools, ever. You want something fixed? I'd rather do
> > it than lend out my tools. My electric hedger is another deal, borrow
> > it for a week, have fun.
>
> Nobody around here (Boston) seems to do any landscaping any more -- I
> feel like an endangered species. It seems like not too long ago people
> used to fix their own stuff. Now, if a bike breaks, people toss it.
> Everything has become disposable. One of the great ironies is, with the
> Internet, we're in some kind of DIY "golden age". Know-how is easy to
> Google, so are odd parts, and Ebay is like a global flea market.
>

Yeah, I can't stand "disposability". There's pride to be had in taking
care of whatever gear you've got. Sometimes things actually do wear
out. Rarely does that happen to the average person's bicycle, though.
It usually dies from neglect and exposure. It's not seen as "worth the
effort" as you can get a Schwinn cruiser ready to ride from *mart for
$150--what it would cost to have the LBS tune what you've let rot away
in the basement.

> It's nice that you're seen as a hero to your neighbor, and it's nice of
> you to be so generous with your time and expertise. On the flip side, I
> built a really nice bike up for my wife - city bike, 26" wheels, slicks,
> fenders, rack with rear pannier, bar bag, v-brakes, trigger shifters,
> etc. Perfectly matched to what she wanted - a reliable, no fuss machine
> for commuting and weekend rides. She always has people telling her how
> she needs to "upgrade" if she wants to be faster when she goes on club
> rides. Ditto on my son's bike (we built together), old Raleigh, but with
> new bar-ends (8s), new wheels, clipless pedals, etc. On a club ride one
> condescending jerk remarked that he was surprised my son was faster than
> he, given that he had all the "wrong stuff".

This bike had a seven speed cassette! Positively neolithic. A delight
to adjust. Completely non-fussy. Perfect for city use. Steel crank
rings that'll last a lifetime! Steel handlebars and stem! A victorian
seatpin with seperate clamp. It makes your son's bike look like a
Saturn V. Those are good things in the city, that make a bike thief
move along. Usually bike thieves don't go, "by golly those bearings are
properly greased and what a well adjusted drivetrain!" before cutting
the cable. Like your son's bike, it's all about the right tool for the
job.

>
> 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.

01-19-2007, 01:41 PM

On 18 Jan 2007 14:01:31 -0800, "landotter" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
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