Miscellany: Bike Repair

One unfortunate reality of cyclocommuting is the maintenance involved on your bike. Unless you're flush with money and you live a block away from a bike shop, you're going to have to get your hands dirty. The upside is, though, that aside from the time and labor involved, bike repair is relatively cheap.

One key is to always have the right tools. I bike roughly 50 miles a week in the rough and tumble Gainesville bike lanes, so slow leaks and flat tires do happen. A slow leak can temporarily be countered by some air (I keep a spare pump on the bike for emergencies), but an outright flat demands immediate attention.

I'm not a bike repair whiz, so I dread fixing flats. The worst part, by far, is getting the tire back on the rim after replacing the inner tube. For some reason, it's always harder than I remember, and I'm sure I've ripped up my tires something fierce in my efforts.

I have a flat right now. I'm feeling a bit lazy, so I think I'll let Mr. Goodbike handle this one.