What Gives Men a Bad Name??? Read Here!

[Mr. Bloom]

OK, I was in the LBS yesterday, 1 block from the IU campus, and a man comes in complaining about difficulty steering...the wheel was clipping cables on the frame. He looked to be an academic...

His front fork was backwards

Made me think of this:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=12892

[Tuckervill]

My hubby did the same thing! Son and I took him out for a ride and about 3 miles in son says, "Hey, mom, take a look at dad's fork." Backwards!

We didn't make fun of him. Mostly because he can crush us with one foot.



Karen

[Eden]

Over at one of the other forums someone posted a photo of a bike for sale on some big box store's web page (wasn't wally world, but something similar in another country) - that was assembled all wrong! backwards fork - handlbars just about pointed at the ground. It was a mess! Didn't give too much confidence in the store or bike...

[Trek420]

Over at one of the other forums someone posted a photo of a bike for sale on some big box store's web page (wasn't wally world, but something similar in another country) - that was assembled all wrong! backwards fork - handlbars just about pointed at the ground. It was a mess! Didn't give too much confidence in the store or bike...

Don't know who assembled this, man or woman but if you can see the tag this was at Target'. Label says:

Sturdy knobby tires for off road riding
Front and rear suspension to absorb bumps ....
Suspension seat post .....

It's on their box store road bike

[lph]

*snort*

I've told this story before, but it deserves retelling: I was out cleaning the winter gunk off my bike one lovely spring afternoon, when the Pakistani woman who just moved in across the street came up and shyly asked if I could take a look at her daughters bike, because it "didn't work".

Apart from a flat tire front and back, the rear gearing, a gripshift, wouldn't budge. When I looked closer at it I could see that whoever had put the bike together hadn't quite grasped the concept of cutting the wire to fit. Hmm, small bike, long wire, what the heck, let's WRAP THE SURPLUS AROUND THE FRAME.

[Trek420]

Apart from a flat tire front and back, the rear gearing, a gripshift, wouldn't budge. When I looked closer at it I could see that whoever had put the bike together hadn't quite grasped the concept of cutting the wire to fit. Hmm, small bike, long wire, what the heck, let's WRAP THE SURPLUS AROUND THE FRAME.

Did you fix it?

It's frustrating and sad in a way the number of "invisible cyclists" I see each day with glarring safety issues on the bike. Mostly no brakes!

Most don't seem to know that basic things like clean and lube the bike regularly, replace/adjust cables solve a lot of ills. I imagine that when cables stick, wear or stretch and don't work anymore they just cut them.

It would be nice to reach out to them as cyclists and let them see the pride of knowing how to maintain the bike. My theory is:

Sometimes a language issue. Materials, books, websites not in their language.

Sometimes gender as in men of almost any culture don't like being told by women "you should do this"

Lastly most don't see themselves as cyclists. They see themselves as "car'less", that is doing this because they can't afford a car or get a license.

[lph]

I'm embarrassed to say I didn't.

As I remember I was in a bit of a rush, I didn't even have time to fix the flats, but did say I could fix them some other day. But I remember telling her that any bike shop would fix it for them in no time and that it wouldn't cost much.

If I'd been any kind of role model I would have shown her how to do it!

[Trek420]

I'm embarrassed to say I didn't.

As I remember I was in a bit of a rush, I didn't even have time to fix the flats, but did say I could fix them some other day. But I remember telling her that any bike shop would fix it for them in no time and that it wouldn't cost much.

If I'd been any kind of role model I would have shown her how to do it!

You were a great role model.

She saw a woman working on her own bike.

Probably sees you ride.

You offered to do this another time.

Now she knows there are specific shops that do this kinda thang.

Many novice or non cyclists don't know these shops exist, what they're called, what they do .... I'm sure lots of us have had to explain "you know how your car needs regular oil changes, periodic maintanence. You would not expect to just drive and drive and ... not do these things. Rght? Your bike does too".

I've personaly seen the CFL lightbulb go off over the head

Next time you see her bring it up. Let her know your favorite shop.

One of the many things I like about my LBS is while his tiny shop is packed to the gills with hoity toity high end road and mountain bikes he treats every bike and customer well. I've seen him give the same detailed explanations, advice to box store bikes, garage sale bikes.

I've also seen him deal very well with difficult, whiney high maintenance customers I'd have given the boot too.

Hope there's a wrench like him near you

[KnottedYet]

I've also seen him deal very well with difficult, whiney high maintenance customers I'd have given the boot too.

Hey, I resemble that remark! But I bring my LBS guys beer to make up for it.