Bicycle Commuting Mama: Bicycle Mechanics

Ugh.  It’s 10:20 on Sunday evening, and I’ve got tools scattered around and a bicycle with the front wheel still off.  Fortunately for me, it’s not my own bicycle.  It currently belongs to my middle daughter, and has a flat tire.  Unfortunately, the tire doesn’t want to come off the rim, even with tire levers.  It’s a cheap made-in-Taiwan kids’ bike with thick, knobby tires, though, so I’m thinking that the manufacturer’s idea was that people would probably get rid of the bike before they ever had to change a tire.  Or maybe the tire has gotten less flexible with age.  Or both.  Anyway, it’s not coming off.  She doesn’t really need it anyway; she normally rides a scooter.

I did get a few things done on my bike, including installing lights.  I found a few dollars to get a cheap set from Fred Meyer.  Yay, me!

I also took my husband down to Clever Cycles today to look at REAL bikes, and he’s feeling a little more bike-friendly now.

As for my youngest (who is 3), she loves “helping” me fix bikes.  She’s always right next to me with a wrench.  I told her that bicycle mechanics would probably be an excellent career for the future.  Seriously.