Awesome!

I thought I would be sorting tires all day. In reality, though, I had something much better awaiting me!

After a gruesome 4 hours labeling price tags on tires, in which I used a crudely made hook (actually an upside-down kickstand) to "catch" tires & pull tires out of their hooks, price them, and then re-hook them, I was finally told I would help fix "earn-a-bikes" (more on that later) with other volunteers. Given that Joe had been sick today and I had worked all by myself, that message was a huge relief!

Earn-a-bikes is a program run by the coop to give bikes to youth and the under-privileged. I'm not sure exactly how it is run, but the basics are that a person (typically a youth) will volunteer at the coop, learn a bit about bike safety, and eventually earn his/her own bike (usually of mediocre quality) after some stated goal is met. It's a great way to give back to the community & keep members engaged, however often these "earn-a-bikes" need quite a bit of tuning before they can be given to others. That was my responsibility last evening.

In the process of tuning a bike, consisting of the three S's - steering, stopping, security - I would check that the stem was tight (so that the handlebars won't turn without the wheel), the brakes work well (i.e. they are centered, not worn, etc.), and the important parts to the bike are strongly bolted on. In addition, I checked the chains to make sure they aren't worn (chains actually stretch over time - that's why you need to replace them). I also lubed the cables (shifter, brakes) and made sure all other necessary parts were there.

I learned a lot working through each step. For instance, I now know to check the length of the old chain before putting in the new one! Of course, the new chain is not specific to the bike, so it needs to be "cut" (a process of releasing a pin from one of its links) to the specific length. Being the person that I am, I forgot to do so - however, I did learn how to measure the correct length of chain another way!

In addition, I now know how to adjust disc brakes! In case you don't know, disc brakes are the equivalent of the ipod for music - revolutionary & totally awesome! Knowing how to fix them is a great skill to have.

After my trials & troubles, I was picked up my Dad to swing home. I had ridden my bike over to the coop (it was a nice day!), but little did I know the sun exposure would only be brief before a massive storm hit northeast Ohio. So, it appeared as if my biking days were over - at least while Cleveland's weather still sucked.