real empowerment through positive achievement

[Timbo]

I want to thank the folks who started this forum and for those that contribute advice and their knowledge. I am not going to give the history lesson about bikes, but at one time everyone, even women could maintain and operate their own bicycle. Through years of usesless technlogy and apathy we have lost many simple and worthwhile knowledge basics and skills. Being a printer I know all to well about the loss, at least here in Canada of a well trained artisan. So it was really nice to come on here, read Hugos awesome tutorial about aligning a wheel and truing it. It took most of my day off work to do, but ya know what? it was worth. taking your bike apart and learning how it works is so worth it. So long as you can put it back together! It also helps with some good advice and wonderful support! But bikes are not complicated and should not be thought of as complicated. Be confident, take that coaster break assembley apart, go on. Try it. I can now do something most bike shops charge a lot of money for, for myself. I still go in and get the odd thing. But it gives you even a greater feeling of responsibility and pride. I think if any teachers are out there who teach shop, you cram your bird houses and your stupid key racks for something truly empowering. go to the local dump with your students look for some decent discarded bikes. Now kids will see how wasteful our society is and become more environmentally conscious. Then get some manuals on gears and breaks and a few books on bike maintnance and some good sites like RAT ROD BIKES .COM! and let them have at it. YOu will create independent, self reliant, disciplined people. who will have awesome bikes.

Cheers

Timbo

 

[fast eddie]

good stuff, i concur fine sir!!
fast eddie outty

 

[necessaryevil]

I totally agree, a lot of old basic skills are now a lost art. Kids these days need to quit staring at the t.v. and computer and get thier hands dirty. I grew up my whole life admiring pinstripers and old WW2 nose art, one day I decided "I'm going to teach myself no matter how long it takes" I'm not good by any means, but everyday I get better. I consider myself fortunate to be a part of this website, everyone has been soo helpful and nice, especially now during my personal problems. I know we're just a bunch of crazy bike folks, but we're all family here.

 

[Mr. Farrell]

hoo-rah!!! people dont know how to do anything for themselves anymore. someone always comes up witha more convenient solution, that's why so many americans are overweight . it's a capitalist jungle out there... and i perfer to "kill what i eat". the more money i dont give to someone else, the better.

sorry... end of rant.
whoooo... that felt good.

 

[Gold Street Customs]

Mucho de Cudos (not spanish) I think appreciate something that may be not perfect but was built by hand as opposed to something built with a charge card any day!!!!

 

[Korporal]

It suprises me how shocked people are when I tell them I fix old bikes. When probed they say that bikes are complicated. As you have found out, they are pretty simple (internal gear hubs excluded but even these aren't too bad if you are systematic). As others have said,the common view is that paying to have your bike fixed is easier than doing it yourself. But has you have seen this isn't so and anybody that knows how to use a screwdriver and a wrench can figure out how to fix their bike. With a little help from Google, one can find a blog/forum/instructable for just about anything. Without this I wouldn't have thought about breathing some life into my first project.

I do want to point out one thing in you post that is off.

at one time everyone, even women could maintain and operate their own bicycle

This statement implies that women shouldn't be able to maintain their own bicycle and using the phrase "even women" makes it seem that you are putting all women below your(assumedly male)self. I doubt that all women would agree with that statement, especially those who wrench on their bike. Yes I've been accused of being a feminist. I'll go back to my corner now.

 

[Timbo]

I apologize for coming off like that Korporal, I didn't quit word it right Susan B Anthony did it much better. One of my flying instructors is a female and I have the highest respect for women and their abilities. Sorry.

 

[xddorox]

Great post Timbo. I give some time at a local community bike shop and I find that we have a large number of women who actually want not only to have their bikes fixed, but to know how it is actually done. I must admit, quite to my surprise, that manicured finger nails on dirty hands is somewhat sexy!