Saturday, September 08, 2007

Bicycle Maintenance

Now I see why they were so keen to push the idea that once I had had the bicycle for three months I could bring it back and get a free safety check/maintenance session for it! They never expect anyone to take them up on it!

"I'd like to schedule an appointment to get my bicycle serviced." I said when the service counter answered their phone.

"We don't give appointments, mate." The guy answered. "Bring your bike in and leave it with us. The current queue is about five days long."

"You want me to leave my bicycle with you, where it will sit untouched for five days before you get to it?" I asked incredulously. "I was told you made appointments."

"You were told wrong."

Ah! The United Kingdom, what a service-oriented society!

So, instead of having left my bicycle with the shop and getting the free service (or paying £35.00 for the service had I not had the free-service coupon), I spent £25.00 on gear to service it myself and have spent the entire morning fiddling, and fooling around with the bike. It's kind of fun getting all greasy and dirty while making sure my bike is in top shape.

After finishing the tune-up and check-out, I took her for a spin. She rides great. Her brakes are squeaking a bit though… I suppose I should replace the brake pads. Ah well… that's a job for another day.

Wherever you are today, I hope that you're having a great day and doing something you enjoy.

Don Bergquist – 08 September 2007 – Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK

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