The Bicycle Workshop

When I was nine years old, my brother used to tell me that when he saw me shifting my bike without moving. I never knew what it meant but I imagined little cogs flying off the bike if I pushed on the shift lever too hard. A lot has changed in the last thirty years but that saying still remains.

Today bikes have up to 30 gears. Chains got stronger and thinner and all bikes got a whole lot lighter. But we still have shifters connected to derailleurs via little cables and derailleurs trying to push the chain from one gear to the next. And in most cases, they still wont shift unless your pedaling. So can you still strip your gears? Sort of.

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Pack em up and move em out!

Recently I was talking with Sarah Cushman, head guru of Portland Green Streets, and she was telling me of a newfound freedom that came in the form of a bike trailer. She said she got it for towing her toddler and then discovered the incredible utility if offers too. I knew what she meant.

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Biking in the late summer, early fall is my favorite time. The days get hot but the mornings and afternoons are crisp. Maine at it’s finest. The only bugger is that my commute ride can start to bump into low light situations. That’s not a big deal, but one that needs to be tackled head on. Continue Reading »

Do you drive a car? Do you ever pass cyclists? Then read this.

Even if you are a cyclist but find, like many of us, that you spend the large majority of your travel time behind the wheel of your car, please take a few moments and read this. Your cyclist neighbors’ life could depend on it.

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Get the gunk out of your drivetrain and your ridin’ will be easy

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I was just riding down the street and it broke!

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard this from customers coming into the bike shop: “I was just riding down the street and it broke!”  And while there is the rare occasion when this is true, it’s usually pretty clear that this is the exception. Most roadside breakdowns were already broken before they left home that day. They just happened to finally give up the ghost just outside of cell phone coverage as it started to rain.

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Whether riding or maintaining your bike, you have support.

Someone recently asked me to write an article on how to fix a flat tire and another on how to bike commute. I thought about if for a few minutes and then realized that reading an article on how to fix a flat would pale in comparison to learning it hands-on. And I knew commuting would make a better conversation than an article.  So with that in mind, here are some resources where you can find people to help you be more confident riding a bike, fixing a bike, finding a good bike route, choosing equipment or whatever other bike question you may have. Continue Reading »

If your bike lets out a loud wail when you put on your brakes, you are not alone. Usually this is a simple problem to fix too. Continue Reading »