Wear and Tear

Full disclosure: I was T-boned by a van while I was pedaling home from work some two years ago. I eventually recovered and my bike, bent but not broken was repaired, though it was never quite the same again, showcased by a slight wobble at higher (12mph+) speeds.

When we arrived in MN we were itching to explore the Greenway, and the hundreds of miles of bicycle paths that run through the Twin Cities. On our first outing, one of my pedals started coming loose. I easily discerned the problem: two out of four screws holding it in place had dropped out at some point. An easy fix and we were back on track in no time.

“Screws fall out all the time, the world is an imperfect place”

- John Bender, The Breakfast Club

The next day, we used the bikes to run errands. On our way to Whole Foods, I felt something pop, and the whole bike trembled. Nothing felt out of place, so I chalked it up to a bump in the road. Later that day, we went back for a leisure ride to the Uptown lakes.



4 blocks away from home I felt another pop, -- my bicycle shook uncontrollably. I feared the worst - somehow the frame was splitting apart, probably at a welded joint. Was it the accident? The 800 miles strapped to the back of the Jeep? The day it spent outside in the rain? Regardless, the wheel was rubbing up against the frame, and I couldn't quite tell why. We took my old and busted ride in to Erik's for a diagnosis.

The experts chalked up my problem to a few broken spokes (D’oh! Now why didn’t I see that!). I was honestly amazed at the service and turnaround. Back in NWOH, there’s a dearth of specialty bike stores and it took days, sometimes weeks to tune up a bicycle. Erik’s mechanics replaced my wheel and I was back on the road in less than 3 hours. Better still, the persistent wobble from the accident two years ago was gone. The bike felt like new. Everything was good! Hooray for Erik's!

Except...

Out on the trail the next day the rear wheel went flat. Examining the tire I found no external punctures and figured maybe it was related to the tire’s replacement, so back to Erik’s we went. They confirmed my suspicions - the tape their mechanic applied to the rim had shifted, causing a spoke to puncture the tube. They fixed me up free of charge and sent me on my way. Awesome.

Except...

Another mile on the trail the next day and I had another flat. Same problem. I was getting tired of walking my bike around the Twin Cities, and once again, returned to Erik’s. They set things right, and I haven't had problems since. Still I can't help but laugh to myself:

if I wanted a flat tire, I’d have fixed it myself.