Every few months, while I cycle to work, I notice I am putting more effort, getting a little bit more breathless, and tell myself I need to do more exercise to get in better shape.
And then @Pepijn glances at my bike, picks up the pump and inflates my tires. Inevitably, the next time I ride, I feel like I’m flying.
I wish you all to have someone in your life who inflates your tires, literally or figuratively.
this post seems to be getting a new life for some reason, so this is a good moment for another shout out to my resident bike mechanic who fixed my break pads last week and is about to try a full chain replacement even though that makes him uncomfortable.
I said “we could just go to a pro bike mechanic” and he looked offended beyond reason.
@Pepijn
@juliette Aww. ❤️
/me feeling a bit inflated now :-)
Nov 7, 2024, 8:08 AM
@juliette we cycled on hire bikes as part of our holiday in Sweden last year. I used to be a touring cyclist, capable of 150km days, but I hadn't cycled regularly for a while before the holiday. I was *struggling*, esp on hills, and super embarrassed at how unfit I'd become.
About 30km into a 40km ride, I finally did the full bike check I should have done at the start. Turned out my front brake pad needed adjustment: I'd been riding with it half on the whole time... I flew after that 🤣
@louisa_ @juliette I had this happen with a brake pad dragging on my wheel, thought I was just out of shape 😆.
I took it in for a tune-up and told them about the problem. Picked it up and the same damn thing happened within a block. Took it back and they told me that's normal for women's bikes (lolwut?). I managed to adjust it myself at home. (Also: never set foot in that shop again, and added a toolkit to my bike)
@juliette wonderful!!
One doesn't "just go" to a pro bike mechanic.
