Maintenance is the best prevention. “Prevention is the best medicine, and if you’re taking care of your equipment it’s super key. Bikes don’t just fail. If they’re in really good working condition and you clean them at night, and you’re religious about it, bikes are kind of like cars — they’ll start talking to you if something is getting worn or getting creaky or needs to be replaced.”
The fabric attachment system is low-tech, but that seems to be helpful, as it can adapt to seat rails of different widths. One fancier option you might see on more expensive seat bags is a quick-release mount that you install under your saddle. But those have a fixed width, and therefore can fit under seats with only those exact specs. Brooks saddles, for example, are too wide for these mounts.
If you have just a short time in Seattle there is only one way to see the city. Walk at 2.5 miles an hour? I don't think so. Take buses and trams that you have to wait for and that might not even get you where you need to go? No way Jose. Drive your car? Hahahaha get outta here, don't even talk to me. But what about a BICYCLE??? Now that's the ticket.
Where to begin?! Long story made somewhat short. I bookmarked this place because I saw their dog Kaya and was sold. Lol. But they had 5 stars too so that helped. Amazing people. Very down-to-earth. Took the bikes down the path to Discovery Park. If you're in-shape and do mild cardio, then it should be an ok ride. I don't do cardio and I found myself trying to sell my soul like 15 times just to get to the top of some hills. Lol. Made it to the Ballard locks and actually got to see a boat pass through! This is the off-season so not much boat traffic. Steve, an engineer we met there, said peak time will start in May. Ate lunch at Ann's in Ballard. Delish shrimp sate! I busted my tire in a pothole and had to make a trip to REI. Which wasn't awful because we wanted to go there anyway. The city was tough to ride in at 5:00pm and we rode the sidewalk most of the way back due to the congestion. Some pedestrians are obvious to you and I almost ran over a few people.. By choice. Lol. Made it back right before they closed at 6:00pm. Easy peasy! Notes: Take some water. Take some pictures. The ride is beautiful so don't rush through. Get there before noon to give yourself some time to cruise.
3D Printers Baby Bath Tub Baby Strollers Bar Stool Bean Bag Chair best actor Bike cover Blackhead Remover Boys' Boxer Underwear Car Chargers Ceiling Fans Chair Cushions cleaner Dining Chair Diving Masks Elbow Braces Electric Air Fryer Electric Stove Fizik Saddles Folding Ladders gas cooktop Handheld CB Radio inflatable boat Kindle Paperwhite Makeup Brush Makeup Chairs Men's Cycling Shoes Paper Towel Holder Ping Pong Paddles pool cue rack Preqnancy body pillow Projector Stands RC Helicopter robot rocking horse Seagrass Rug Small Indoor Dog House sound bars Table Round toddler travel bed vacuum Vanity Makeup Mirrors Walmart Folding Table Women's Condoms Wood Table Lamps
For the budding mechanic:  A good pocket sized repair guide.   One good option is the “Pocket Guide to Emergency Bicycle Repair”  by Ron Cordes and Eric Grove.   It’s only 3.5×4.5 inches and a half inch thick.   I don’t carry this myself, but for someone who’s new to this whole bike repair business, it’s really helpful to have. A future blog post will cover this book in detail.
This is a very basic book and unnecessarily repetitive in sections. It does introduce the reader to the basic nomenclature of bicycles and this is helpful when conversing with others. Unfortunately the repetitive sections were not replaced with chapters on 3 Speed in hub gear drives, or coaster breaks, or a chapter on Adult Tricycles and Tandems and E-Bikes.
Brakes come in a variety of designs depending on the age and style of your bike. Rim brakes offer more modulation but have less stopping power, so are more suited to riding on the roads. Disc brakes can provide huge amounts of stopping power so are best suited to off road riding, although ‘V’ rim brakes are also well suited to mountain biking. All brakes use a friction system to stop the movement of the wheel, so regular checks of the contact pads should form part of your regular cycle maintenance.
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