New bikes

After taking the Schwinn back home I got a mongoose bmx bike off of Craigslist. It's a great beginner bmx bike and is nearly indestructible. On Tuesday, though, I bought a Haro from a friend. It's gorgeous. When looking for a bike, try to find it used. It's a lot cheaper and you can usually find some good deals. My Haro, for example, was $350 new and was only ridden 4 times but I got it for $100. Ask your friend if they know anyone selling a bike or check Craigslist. However, don't be suckered into buying a broken bike in the hopes of fixing it up. Make sure it's worth the price.

RIP Schwinn.

It's not quite dead, yet, but I'm taking it back home and putting it in the garage for awhile. I've been working on it everyday to get the brakes fixed so I took it for a ride with my friend last night and on the way home the rear tire jammed against the fender because the nuts weren't tight enough, even though you couldn't move them with a wrench anymore. The entire rear drivetrain is locked up now and I don't have the time to completely fix it so I'm taking it home and I'll work on it over the summer. Moral of the story, though, is check your bike before rides. If I had properly checked it I would've seen that and been able to fix it before the ride. Also, never go on a ride without emergency tools. I thought we'd just be riding around campus so I didn't bring mine but if I had I would've been able to at least take the wheel off so I could bring it back to campus in my friend's car. Both were beginner mistakes that are so easy to not do. Oh well, mistakes are a learning experience.

Sorry for the absence.

Winter quarter hit me pretty hard with loads of school work and I got more hours at work so I had to sacrifice things I enjoy, such as this blog. In my absence, though, I did more work on my own bike, including replacing the chain and new brake cables and adding a combined cargo rack and side baskets and restored a bike my mom got in the '50s. This brings me to the point of this post: restoration. Bike companies are now selling remakes of old bikes because vintage-style bikes are coming back in style. As nice as these newer bikes are, they also come with a large price tag. Craigslist is full of cheap vintage bikes that just need some TLC and they'll be road worthy in no time. The first thing most of them will need is new tubes and tires which you can pick up almost anywhere. It's also a good idea to take it to a mechanic or look it over yourself to make sure it doesn't need any major repairs before you try riding it. After a good cleaning and look-over, it should be ready for the road. In your look-over, check the brakes and chain to make sure both are still good and safe to ride with. Even after replacing a bunch of parts, it'll probably still be cheaper than a new remake, and you get the satisfying feeling of having the real thing.

29 Ways Bikes Are Better Than Women

1. Bicycles don't get pregnant.
2. You can ride your bicycle any time of the month.
3. Bicycles don't have parents.
4. Bicycles don't whine unless something is really wrong.
5. You can share your bicycles with your friends.
6. Bicycles don't care how many other bicycles you've ridden.
7. When riding, you and your bicycle can arrive at the same time.
8. Bicycles don't care how many other bicycles you have now.
9. Bicycles don't care if you look at other bicycles.
10. Bicycles don't care if you buy bicycle magazines.
11. You'll never hear, "Suprise, you're goning to own a new bicycle" unless you go out and buy one yourself.
12. If your bicycle goes flat, you can fix it.
13. If your bicycle is too loose, you can tighten it.
14. If your bicycle gets misaligned, you don't have to discuss politics with it.
15. You can have a black bicycle and bring it home to your parents.
16. You don't have to be jealous of the guy who works on your bicycle.
17. If you say bad things to your bicycle, you don't have to apologize
     before you ride it again.
18. You can ride your bicycle as long as you want and it wont get sore.
19. You can stop riding your bicycle as soon as you want and it wont get frustrated.
20. Your parents won't remain in touch with your old bicycle after you dump it.
21. Bicycles don't get headaches.
22. Bicycles don't insult you if you're a bad rider.
23. Your bicyle never wants a night out with other bicycles.
24. Bicycles don't care if you're late.
25. You don't have to take a shower before you ride your bicycle.
26. If your bicycle doesn't look good, you can paint it or get better parts.
27. You can ride your bicycle the first time you meet it without having to take it to dinner, see a movie, or meet its mother.
28. The only protection you need to wear when riding your bicycle is a decent helment.
29. When in mixed company, you can talk about what a great ride you had the last time you were on your bicycle.

Winter Care

When the weather starts to get cold, your bike needs a lot of maintenance to keep it in top shape. Clean the chain and the gears, make sure everything's lubed, and make sure the brakes are good. Salt and snow will majorly mess up your drivetrain so keep it clean and lubed up to keep your bike going.

People for Bikes

People for bikes is a great site dedicated to getting more people on bikes. I highly suggest signing the pledge and getting involved with them. This picture I got off their site gives great reasons to ride a bike and great reasons to get your friends to join you.

Maintenance

Just like cars, bikes need regular maintenance to keep them on the road. Chains need lubing and degreasing, gears need degreasing, tires need to be inflated, etc. Every bike owner should have a tire pump, at least one spare tube, degreaser, and chain lube. DO NOT USE WD40! There are many types of chain lube and it really depends on your preference. Go to your local bike shop and ask which type they suggest.
If you're biking on a budget, as I am, learning how to fix your own bike is a great skill to have. It requires a bigger initial investment to buy your own tools and parts but it costs a lot less than paying a mechanic to fix it. You also learn how your bike works a lot better and can fine tune it to your preferences. Go to a book store and see if they have any manuals on bike maintenance and repair. I picked up The Bicycling (magazine) Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance and Repair for Road and Mountain Bikes and Bike Repair and Maintenance for Dummies. The Bicycling Guide is a lot more informative and in depth but the Bike Repair for Dummies has some great stuff, too. They tell you what tools you'll need for everything and what parts you need for repairs.