Maintenance

   There are several reasons I don't ride all the time.  The first reason is the weather.  I am not inclined to go crazy and ride in extreme cold or any kind of precipitation.  It's simply not necessary.  It's messy and the risk when automobile driver's vision is impaired and my brakes are compromised is unacceptable.  The other reason is simply when it is inconvenient.  I may be shopping or traveling with others, etc...  The last reason and least acceptable reason is when my bike is down due to some maintenance issue.  The cost of having it repaired at a bike shop often negates the savings from commuting, yet taking the subway while the bike is down isn't cheap either.  I have taken to doing a good deal of the work myself.  However, it has taken some learning.  One source of this learning has been the classes at Times Up!, an environmental action group, as they describe themselves.  They offer bike repair classes that are quite useful.  I've patched inner tubes many times before, but I learned things attending their workshop on the subject.  I learned to service my bottom bracket and hubs at their classes and I even learned a thing or two about adjusting my brakes and changing the cables.  I look forward to the next class on replacing spokes and truing wheels.  It is a useful organization and I think every cyclist should know the basics of bicycle repair.