One day I got to work early in the morning just as the sun was rising. I noticed a bicycle next to my front entrance, and there was this note on it. The bike was an old Peugeot, but it was very nearly unused. It had steel rims that were still shiny although they were a weird French size (650B). The plastic shift levers were snapped in half, and the fixed cup was partially screwed in but cross threaded. It was going to be at least $150 to fix this. Here is what the note said:

“9-25-04

Dear Sir,

I’ve respected your little shop for many years, and the idea that you can survive in this day of massive stores, discount pricing, internet purchasing. You’ve definitely filled a niche in this neighborhood.

I found this bike and thought it might be of some good for me if I invested a few dollars into it. Who was I kidding?

I only got my wife mad. “What are you going to do with that junk bike?”

“But love, it’s a Peugeot!”

Anyway, I thought you might know of a family in need of basic transportation. Maybe a few scrap parts can give the bike future life. I bequeath it to a professional to fix.”

It was not signed.

In this climate, bicycles require extra cleaning and lubrication. The rusting of painted frames and components such as suspension forks and threaded internal parts can only be prevented by using both internal and external means, since rusting is said to start from inside. If internal components are heavily gresed and have their threads sealed properly, dirt and moisture can not get in. (Also see discussion on overhaul and greaseing)

To prevent external rust, the painted suface must be kept clean and the inevitable paint chips must be dealt with. Model airplane paint and nail polish are common substitutes for the paint your bike has from the factory. Unless you have a black bike, the colored paints rarely match exactly, so a touch up with colored paints will still draw attention to the scratch unless the scratch is widened, feathered, painted with primer and matching color coat and top coated with clear enamel. Therefore it is easier to use clear nail polish to seal the scratches.

Do not buy a clear nail polish with additives such as gelatin (used to strengthen nails?). We want to use a quick drying cheap brand. First clean surfaces to be coated. Dab the stuff onto any scratches and also coat the plalces which are unscratches but which have bumpy surfaces under the paint since there may be thin spots. Water collects in the small indentations between welds, for example. The high spots around welds have the thinnest coating of factory paint.

Paint lightly, allow to dry, then repeat. Examine all surfaces whenever you clean your bike if you are so inclined. Check for cracks at this time, especially around the head tube. Paint rough surfaces a few times each year with clear nail polish and stay ahead of the rust. Some folks make notes about where they need to clear coat, so in the future they won’t miss a spot.

If you don’t do this, we will not criticize you. We know that folks who follow this minute detail may be said to have too much free time. But there are folks out there who will want to know about this.

Bicycles need a premium grease specifically designed for bicycle use. Mechanical metal on metal inerface situations requiring long service life and extended mechanical stability in both high or low heat make our choice of lubrication critical We fight against a lot of vibration, contamination potential and other characteristics, so no one grease works on all ball bearings. I use light colored grease becuase I want to know if any dirt at all is getting in when I open up a part and check it. When I look inside a component to see if it does need renovation, this is critical, and if breakdown of lube is evident, I assume that wear has occurred. I wish to overhaul components so far before they actually fail that in fact the grease is still clean. If so, I know that no wear at all has taken place.

I require high film strength to avoid ball-race welding (black spots) or metal to metal contact of any sort. Low friction, low rolling resistance and low wear are my goals. Salt from sweat or from road salt is the enemy. I worry about condensation in this climate, which can not be avoided. I want minimum sling, maximum interval between re-packing, tacky feel (up to a point) additives that resist pressure and minimum toxicity. The requirements of this situation are so complex that intelligent mechanics can disagree. We have a great responsibility and that is why I find my fellow mechanics to be THE SALT OF THE EARTH! We are privleged to serve you.

My shop has a reputation for not judging people. I don’t know if any local shops have a prejudice against people over thirty, but I know that our industry has long been perceived as a young, male, white and straight oriented group. I have had many folks come in and introduce themselves by saying. ” I know you will probably try to sell me a race bike with skinny tires and an uncomfortable seat, but that is not what I want.”

Actually, I want to sell most people a recumbent. My biggest seller is the hybrid category. I am fifty six years old and perhaps that is why I tend to attract folks in my own age range. Perhaps though it is because we are the majority of the population, and most young people already have a bike and don’t think that they need a shop to give them advice. I don’t know.

I have several customers who are in their eighties. One of them rode across the country about fifteen years ago, and it really mellowed him. There is one who comes in often who will not be named here, but I really enjoy his help. He originally got recommended to me by someone at the JCC. He is 87 years old and to celebrate his birthday this year, he rode forty one miles.

His first visit was a funny request. He had an upright bike, like a hybrid. It had tires that were average width, about thirty five millimeters. He wanted me to make his bike faster! He is in great shape, tall, looks about sixty, no hearing aids. I later learned that he is a private pilot. They are usually quite fit. But he has had more than his share of surgeries in the past.

So I told him to get me a written permission from his children. Just kidding. He replied, “that is easy. My son owns a bike shop, and my other son is a lawyer.” We have always had a great rapport since then.

By the way, installing twenty eight millimeter tires made him a lot faster.

I have been involved with several riders who had amputations, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, crushed spines and polio. Getting to know them is very rewarding. They have helped me a lot. We are all broken in some way, but not all of us show it. Or know it.

One who stands out in my mind is a forty year old man I’ll call Bernard. (Not his real name). He brought in a bike that was not worth fixing. It seems that he has an income from SSI, and does not want for anything. I later learned that he does not get much money, just does not have many wants. He has two guitars, two amps, lots of DVDs and can’t imagine taking a vacation because the people he worked for at that time were really dependent on him for office cleaning, and he did not want to let them down. So he decided to buy a new bike. Eventually he bought three.

I got to know him because he came in at least once a month to rave about how great his bike is and about how much he appreciated someone like me. I do respond to flattery! So I got the courage up to ask him about himself after a year or so. He told me about being a night time office cleaner. I said to him, “I’m sort of embarassed to have you see how messy my store is, since you are a cleaning professional.”

He took this as a job offer! He said that it would take about three hours a week and that for the first couple of months, it would take about double that. And with that he was ready. I showed him the vacuum and the glass cleaner, and he was off. For about three years, he kept the place looking good. He talked a blue streak, and mentioned how lucky he was because he was getting his own apartment, and getting out of the Cornerstone facility where he was living.

However, after some time living on his own, he began to not take his medicine. He was not really able to afford to live on his own, but he did not like to surrender his freedom. He lost lots of weight, stopped wearing his teeth, had no money for cigarettes and began to do a poor job. Due to a misunderstanding, he thought I was firing him one day when I was trying to tell him about keeping himself clean. I have no experience in diplomacy, you see.

Now he is wandering the streets, out of control and collecting cans and bottles. The agency people say that he is not a threat to himself or others so he is still free, which is what he wants. But they also said that if medicaid would pay for high priced drugs, he would be able to be the way he used to be. It seems that the drugs folks like Bernard take have a tendency to become tolerated too much and sometimes lose their efficiency. Folks with good health coverage and who tell the doctor about their change in mood can keep trying better ones as they come on the market. Folks who fear being institutionalized tend to not complain. I wish that I had a happy ending here, but maybe there will be one someday.

I saw him downtown a lot this summer, and he did not look at me, or anyone. I hope that he is warm and safe, and that he can get help. If I don’t see him next year in the warm months, I will fear the worst.