Bicycle maintenance

Today; most of it in fact, Dave and I celebrated the 4th of July by noodling around with our bikes. Chicago's inelegant attempt to reign in lead-footed cagers with speed bumps really screws up the forks and headset ... not to mention the gears. I'm not even sure if they're all that effective. Check the link behind my speed bump sign. Some groups of motorists think they're dangerous as well.

Anyway, Dave has an old Schwinn beaterbike - that's him. He's converted it to a 3speed with a Sturmey-Archer hub. Yesterday's big challenge was openning up, cleaning, and greasing the hub. I wrote earlier, there are very few mechanics who will open up a Sturmey-Archer. There are only a few shops in town that will tackle it and most, if they do, often screw them up. So if you have one that breaks don't be surprised if your shop mechanic simply says, "Get another one at Working Bikes." Dave was clearly up to the task since he's made beaterbikes, especially those with Sturmey-Archer 3speed hubs, his voaction.

We also got to talking about yesterday's post. He's not only a kick-ass librarian, or Knowledge Manager as the hoi poloi say these days. Dave has an MA in History from IU. He gently reminded me that it's Frederick Jackson Turner who in 1883 announced the death of the American Frontier to historians gathered at Chicago's Columbian Exposition. Ain't the connections to Chicago great?!?!?!