Manly skills?

where are
the brakes, cables,
cranks & chains?

Popular Mechanics, the übersource of all things DIY, has compiled a master list of 25 Skills Every Man Should Know. The effort is laudable given the ever-increasing tendency of Americans to outsource even the simplest mechanical tasks.

Unfortunately, it's also an unintended testament to the dominance of cars in American life. Almost 25% of the skills involve auto repair or maintenance. Only Skill #24 - Fix a Bike Flat deals directly with our under appreciated transport choice. Of course you could add the cross-over #10 - Use a Torque Wrench. Though that's only 8% of the list.

I could even add Skill #7 - Build a Campfire (why not gobble some smores at the end of a long, tough ride?), Skill #9 - Navigate With a Map and Compass (it always helps to know where you are), and finally, Skill #18 - Mix Concrete (lay your own DIY bike path when the local municipality cuts funding). But bike relevant skills remain a little less than 20% of those manly, manly skills.