Supply and demand nut cases

[Michael]

At the local Dick's Sporting Goods store today:

"Where are the chains. I don't see any."
We don't have chains.
"Actually I need a couple master links ... for a 10-speed road bike."
Don't have 'em.
"Really? You have ... what? ... a zillion bikes here and you couldn't sell an
extra chain with any of them?"
Right. WalMart usually has chains. Did you try there?
"I need master links."
We don't have any.
"I see you have bearings and cone wrenches. Why no master links?"
We don't stock 'em.

(mutter-mutter)

[Fritz M]

> At the local Dick's Sporting Goods store today:
> "Where are the chains. I don't see any

There's a Gart Sports near my work. I discovered they don't carry 700C
tubes there. FWIW.

RFM

[Mike Kruger]

Fritz M wrote:
>> At the local Dick's Sporting Goods store today:
>> "Where are the chains. I don't see any
>
> There's a Gart Sports near my work. I discovered they don't
carry 700C
> tubes there. FWIW.
>
FYI, 700C and 27 inch tubes are interchangeable.

--
Mike Kruger
Bike Chicago e-mail list info:
http://www.geocities.com/bvonmoss/bikechicago.html

[Maggie]

Michael wrote:
> At the local Dick's Sporting Goods store today:
>
> "I see you have bearings and cone wrenches. Why no master links?"
> We don't stock 'em.
>
> (mutter-mutter)

Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Sometimes no. I have no clue if I am
going to a good LBS or the local dickhead LBS. I just listen to what
they say, shake my head, admire their knowledge, buy what they
recommend and leave feeling like an idiot.

I should buy a book. I know there is more to riding a bicycle than
riding. Intellectually I know I should try to understand how a bike
works. Yet what are the odds that I will ever even TRY to understand
the mechanics. I'd nod off while reading the book or my mind will be
wandering to thoughts of italian pastries.

With me....the odds are not in my favor. Considering I have never taken
out the garbage...odds are I will never fix a bike.

Don't judge me, its who I am. We can't do "ALL" things well. ;-)

Maggie.

[Michael]

Maggie wrote:
>
> Michael wrote:
> > At the local Dick's Sporting Goods store today:
> >
> > "I see you have bearings and cone wrenches. Why no master links?"
> > We don't stock 'em.
> >
> > (mutter-mutter)
>
> Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Sometimes no. I have no clue if I am
> going to a good LBS or the local dickhead LBS. I just listen to what
> they say, shake my head, admire their knowledge, buy what they
> recommend and leave feeling like an idiot.
>
> I should buy a book. I know there is more to riding a bicycle than
> riding. Intellectually I know I should try to understand how a bike
> works. Yet what are the odds that I will ever even TRY to understand
> the mechanics. I'd nod off while reading the book or my mind will be
> wandering to thoughts of italian pastries.
>
> With me....the odds are not in my favor. Considering I have never taken
> out the garbage...odds are I will never fix a bike.
>
> Don't judge me, its who I am. We can't do "ALL" things well. ;-)
>
> Maggie.

Years ago I spent a fun couple of hours teaching a friend (business student) how
to change her car's oil/filter. Today she is 45, a seasoned h.s. teacher, and
still changes her own oil. She laughingly admits, however, that she still
doesn't "do coolant". Maybe I should spend another hour with her. It's never
too late.

Though I am an electrical engineer I also have some talent in mechanics and I do
my own repairs on car, house, bike, etc. with no little success. That said, I
must admit that I did not readily take to bicycle maint. because my approach to
gathering the needed info. was reading at Barnes & Noble. I tended to doze.
For me, Sheldon Brown's pages worked out much better; the info. is good and I
like his writing style. I printed relevant pages, spread them on the floor
around my bike, and puttered. Just look at me today: I can clean reflectors all
by myself. ;-)

No, we can't do all things. AND we do what interests us. More to the point, we
shy away from that which doesn't interest us or does intimidate us. Probably
you could do more of your own maint. if you first found a modus that made the
task interesting to you. Interesting *and* understandable. It's not easy to
generate and maintain interest in something when everything about it is new and
mysterious. Maybe learn mechanics with another motivated person, side by side,
e.g. Today we're gonna pull this tube and patch it. Start small, progress as
you're inspired. Even if you never grow beyond the small stuff, you'll know how
to do small stuff for yourself.

Or pay $$$ to the LBS. To each her own.

[Maggie]

Michael wrote:
Even if you never grow beyond the small stuff, you'll know how
> to do small stuff for yourself.
>
> Or pay $$$ to the LBS. To each her own.


I know I could repair a tire if I took the time to learn. Instead I
take it to the LBS. Which makes me a fool. But as Shakespeare said.

The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a
fool.
-- William Shakespeare

Maggie..foolish beyond belief. But everyone is someone's fool at least
once.

[Michael]

Maggie wrote:
>
> Michael wrote:
> Even if you never grow beyond the small stuff, you'll know how
> > to do small stuff for yourself.
> >
> > Or pay $$$ to the LBS. To each her own.
>
> I know I could repair a tire if I took the time to learn. Instead I
> take it to the LBS. Which makes me a fool.
(snip)

I disagree; your choice works for you and provides a wrench with meaningful work
to boot.
Your writing tells me you are a thoughtful person. You have thought about doing
your own maint. and decided not to get into it. That's fair. Although playing
with numbers is fun to me, I don't do my own tax returns.

[Fritz M]

Mike Kruger wrote:

> FYI, 700C and 27 inch tubes are interchangeable.

Thanks, I know. All they have are 26 inch.

RFM