Coming Soon - Fix a Flat
Coming Soon - Build a trike stand
Coming Soon - My Road Kit
Support Your Local Bike Shop
(Reprinted from a 2010 rant by me)
Today the internet touches practically everything we do. For goodness sake my mom even has a connection. She is now the owner of a farm with loads of animals and some sort of Mafia involvement. Don’t really understand all of it but she seems to be having fun and as far as I know she has not buried a body in the back yard.
I will admit that the internet has given me opportunities that I would never have had a few short years ago. I just opened a box from California with a new bike in it that I would never have even known about without the internet. I buy bike parts on the internet, I get news from the internet, and I rant on the internet. As of today I officially own more bikes that I purchased on the internet than in a LBS (local bike shop). Are we destroying the LBS? What about a little support for the guys who assemble, tune and generally make our bikes stay together for us. I have gone out of my way to purchase at least something when I go into a shop. Mostly something small, a tube, a pair of socks, but something. Yep I pay a little more but my LBS will often do something for me. They will always offer advice and charge minimal for a wrench twist or use of that special bike tool. That kind of relationship can not exist on the internet. I do not internet shop a LBS. What I mean is drop by a shop, fit some shoes, check fit on a bike, and just generally waste the salesperson's time. Then hit my computer and by all the stuff from a discount internet retailer. If I take your time, I buy from you.
With all of that said, I do have places where I will not buy something. This last weekend I had a ride on one of my favorite trails, the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia and I was reminded of one place. I usually begin my ride at the Silver Comet Depot because there is ample parking, lots of people to chat with and a shop where I have made purchases in the past. I strolled in and picked up a bottle of water and remembered I needed a tube since I had used my last spare a few days before. 12.95$ later I left with my mouth a bit open and feeling disappointed that I had not even gotten kissed. A quick check of internet prices shows a low of 3.95$ and a high of 5.50$, my LBS sells at 5.50$ but often has 2 for one sales or single price of 3.95$ for tubes. So yep they saw me coming at $9.95 for a basic 26″ presta tube.
I will still advocate we support the LBS but when a shop decides to send their kids to college from a single sale they are not living up to their part of the bargain. They will drive everyone to the internet and no one will be left to support these guys and they will have no one to blame but themselves. I continue to support my LBS but shops that gouge customers because they can will get no business from me.
(Reprinted from a 2010 rant by me)
Today the internet touches practically everything we do. For goodness sake my mom even has a connection. She is now the owner of a farm with loads of animals and some sort of Mafia involvement. Don’t really understand all of it but she seems to be having fun and as far as I know she has not buried a body in the back yard.
I will admit that the internet has given me opportunities that I would never have had a few short years ago. I just opened a box from California with a new bike in it that I would never have even known about without the internet. I buy bike parts on the internet, I get news from the internet, and I rant on the internet. As of today I officially own more bikes that I purchased on the internet than in a LBS (local bike shop). Are we destroying the LBS? What about a little support for the guys who assemble, tune and generally make our bikes stay together for us. I have gone out of my way to purchase at least something when I go into a shop. Mostly something small, a tube, a pair of socks, but something. Yep I pay a little more but my LBS will often do something for me. They will always offer advice and charge minimal for a wrench twist or use of that special bike tool. That kind of relationship can not exist on the internet. I do not internet shop a LBS. What I mean is drop by a shop, fit some shoes, check fit on a bike, and just generally waste the salesperson's time. Then hit my computer and by all the stuff from a discount internet retailer. If I take your time, I buy from you.
With all of that said, I do have places where I will not buy something. This last weekend I had a ride on one of my favorite trails, the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia and I was reminded of one place. I usually begin my ride at the Silver Comet Depot because there is ample parking, lots of people to chat with and a shop where I have made purchases in the past. I strolled in and picked up a bottle of water and remembered I needed a tube since I had used my last spare a few days before. 12.95$ later I left with my mouth a bit open and feeling disappointed that I had not even gotten kissed. A quick check of internet prices shows a low of 3.95$ and a high of 5.50$, my LBS sells at 5.50$ but often has 2 for one sales or single price of 3.95$ for tubes. So yep they saw me coming at $9.95 for a basic 26″ presta tube.
I will still advocate we support the LBS but when a shop decides to send their kids to college from a single sale they are not living up to their part of the bargain. They will drive everyone to the internet and no one will be left to support these guys and they will have no one to blame but themselves. I continue to support my LBS but shops that gouge customers because they can will get no business from me.
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Religion of the Chain My chain just needs a good cleaning!! How much rust is too much? My dad once said that everyone has an opinion. He then proceeded to tell me exactly what most of those opinions are worth. This topic is sorta like that. Few things get more traction or generate more divergent opinions than when someone asks the simple question, “How do you take care of your chain?” Simple enough on it’s surface but oh what a divisive subject. Couples have divorced over far less than the differences found on chain maintenance. For some it is a simple, lubricate it and ride. For others it is a religion complete with all the trappings that come from the most intricate of ceremonies. “On the morning of the autumnal equinox, accompanied by a virgin, arise before the sun. Address the morning by facing the East and bowing to the primal forces of nature. As the sun climbs into the ……..” and so it goes. I tend to fall somewhere in the middle. I lube regularly as I am certain it makes shifting cleaner and more efficient. My selection of lubricants has changed over the years and I expect I still have many new lubes to try (“There’s always time for lube”). Currently I use a teflon based dry lube and it seems to work well. I apply it usually every couple hundred miles just prior to a ride and then wipe the chain down both before and after the ride. My trusty 3in1 oil can comes in handy for the brake pivots and idler wheels but I never use a spray on anything. Not because they are ineffective but because if I am just a bit sloppy the overspray makes for some exciting moments trying to stop. As far as cleaning goes, I remove my chain in the spring and again in the fall and drop it into a big plastic bottle of mineral spirits, shake, soak overnight, shake again and dump. If it is extremely grungy I may change the spirits and shake once more. Dry and reinstall. I definitely subscribe to the KISS principle of chain maintenance. I recently added a set of heavy magnets under the plastic jug. These seem to grab a bit of metal filings so it makes me happy. A clean cassette is a happy cassette! Like I said, over the years my choice of lube has changed. I have used 30w motor oil, wax based lubes, teflon/dry lubes, and once even chain saw oil. At times these changes were related to my income level as much as personal preference. My reality is, some were easier to use, some left me with more gunk build-up, but all lubed with equal efficiency when used as directed. I have used those really cute little machines to brush each link as it is passed through and even listened to fellows who hand brushed each link with the precision of an oral hygienist and soaked their chain in some sort of toxic, flammable liquid that made it shine like new. My mineral spirits and plastic bottle works well and is easy to use so I will probably stay with it and be happy. In a really dusty summers I might add an extra cleaning in there but usually 2x a year keeps me and my chainrings happy. Even with the collected road grime the chain is still looking good. All in all, I will sum this up with, Lube regularly with (insert choice here). Clean regularly (insert frequently here). That is all I have to say about that, besides, the autumnal equinox is fast approaching and I have a ceremony to prepare. |
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