Bike maintenance

I phoned James, the bicycle repair man, again, to ask if he would have time to fit me in for some bike maintenance. I had been feeling some wear and tear manifesting itself. Sometimes the gears slip, and the brakes are losing their effectiveness. He said he had only recently done maintenance. And that was true! Four months ago I had brought the bike in. But that had been after only three months since the previous round of maintenance, and he had mistaken the resulting wear and tear for that incurred over a whole year. So if I can do that in three months, I can certainly do it in four. If I have to be in the office every day, I cover some 130 km in a week, with 2.2 vertical kilometres. If you do that for four months in a stretch you end up with some 2500 km horizontal and 42 km vertical. Quite a lot! But either way; he could just fit me in before Christmas. 

I brought it in, and James figured he wouldn't manage to have it done before the next week. But he would phone me.

The next day I had a brainwave. I don't like the pedals on that bike, because they are not grippy enough, and you can slip off. He now had the bike in his workshop anyway; could he just replace them with something more grippy? And he could.

Two days later I got a text message. It was done! I could pick it up. That was great! I could tell he had put on new brake pads. And it had a new chain. And he said my mud guards were on the way out. I might have to look out for replacements. 

The bike was also very clean. It always is when I collect it! James always pressure-washes it before he starts. And this time, probably because of it being December, it was extra muddy. July just doesn’t have the same mud credibility. 

James seemed to think it was a bit beyond the ordinary, though. He said he had collected the mud from my rear mud guard only, put it in a pot, and planted a spider plant in it. He said it would be ready to be repotted next time I would drop by! I will surely check in on the plant. I would in all likelihood be bringing a new load of potting soil for it. But that actual day, I rode home on a smooth and clean bike. Lovely! 

The plant

Clean bike