Labor Day Wknd

What a nice summer. The weather's been beautiful, and we've been busy. Real busy. The crew here has been working their tails off cranking out high-end work in record time.

So to celebrate the last gasp of summer (unofficially) Hub is going to be closed Sept 1st, 2nd and 3rd. What are we going to do with a full holiday weekend off? Well, I'm going to rip it up on the Carriage Roads, just like John D Rockefeller intended. Erich mumbled something about 'Allston Christmas' and then laughed maniacally. And Alma's back to her grind as a student. So there you go.

Watch out for moving trucks out there, and we'll see you on Tuesday, Sept. 4.

craigslist Buyer's Guide

Craigslist- a place for finding all kinds stuff (except weapons, food stamps, and body parts), bikes included. If you're patient. Really patient. And you keep a few these four things in mind:

One!
Know what you're buying. Some bikes come from bike shops. Those bikes hold up better over time (and multiple owners). Other bikes- mostly from department/big box stores- don't hold up as well. These brands are department store bikes:
Magna
Free Spirit
Huffy
Murray
Next
Ross
Genesis
Pacific
 Royce Union
Roadmaster
(newer) Schwinn
(newer) Mongoose

This means they weren't originally assembled by trained bicycle mechanics. They were originally assembled by the guy (I assume) who's also responsible for assembling grills, flat pack furniture, and baby cribs. They have 'entry level' (read: cheap) components, that don't last as long as their 'mid level' counter parts. Many of the components I've seen on these bikes aren't serviceable- so when they go outta whack you're looking at replacement, not adjustment. Bottom line- they may not be 'bad' bikes, per se, but they have a short working lifespan. If you're buying one used it's short life is even shorter. I won't say don't buy one of these bikes, but......... don't buy one of these bikes.

Two! 
The guy who posted his used bike is 5'10", and so are you, but that doesn't mean his bike is going to fit you. Maybe he's been riding a bike that's too big or too small for him this whole time. Maybe he has oddly short legs, or long arms. Maybe you have oddly long legs and/or arms. Bring a multi tool with you so you can adjust the seat when you take it for a test ride.You were going to test ride it, right?

Three!
Test ride it.  Make sure there's air in the tires, that the brakes work, and that the quick releases are tight. Put your helmet on. Then take it for a spin. Keep an ear out of creaking, squeaking, clunking, etc. Noises don't mean you shouldn't buy it, but it will be helpful information to pass along to the mechanic when you bring it in for a check over.

Four! 
Bring it in to your LBS to get it checked out. Even if the posting claims that it's been "recently tuned up".  "Recently tuned up" is a relative term that can mean anywhere from 'tuned up at an actual bike shop' to a 'buddy of mine (who knows alot about bikes) looked at it'. At the very least you want a trained set of eyes to make sure it's safe and worth the money.

If you don't want to wait around for your dream bike (in the right size) to pop up on craigslist, you can always check out what the fellas at Cambridge Used Bikes/ Metonomy Used Bicycles or support the good work being done at Bikes Not Bombs by buying a used bike from those folks.

Hug a Trail Builder

I got out of town this weekend, and decided to see what some out of town MTBing would be like. Not great, it turns out. The trails were overgrown, eroding, and had tons of broken, tetanus-inducing 'bridges'.

Pbbbbbbt.

I got a 4 mile ride in before I gave up. It was a really great reminder to appreciate the great trails I get to ride close to home. Those trails (I'm looking at you The Fells, Landlocked Forest, Harold Parker, etc.) didn't magically appear. They also don't magically maintain themselves. People built them, and people maintain them. People like the good folks at IMBA and, closer to home, NEMBA.

So hug a trail builder today. Or even better- donate or volunteer.

The Deal

It's getting to be the time of year when new folks are moving into town. These new folks are having to find their new grocery stores, barbershops, dive bars, coffee houses, and bike shops (that's my favorite part of moving- find my new local ___________ ).

For those of you looking for your new bike shop, let me tell you what we do here. We're a bicycle service shop.

I used to tell people that Hub was a "bicycle repair shop", but I think that phrase limits the scope of what we do. We repair bikes that are broken, but even better than that we maintain bikes before they get broken. We upgrade, box for shipping, unpack from shipping, convert, outfit, trick out (and so on) bicycles. We also stock all of the parts and gear to keep bikes (and their riders) rolling safely.

That being said- we can get you a bike if you want one. But, we don't sell bikes in the same way a 'traditional' bike shop does. We can build one up for you. Surly and Soma are some of our favorite bikes/frames to work with. We can help you pick out each individual part, or we can recommend a build kit. Or if you want a super pro, super custom bike (or pedicab) we can send you to our friends at Commonwealth. But if you're looking to roll a bike off the showroom floor, we're not your gals/guy.

 So why not sell bikes? Well, by focusing our resources on bike service, we can provide the best work in the best turnaround time in town. That's our deal.

According to Google Earth...

Hub Bicycle Co. is just a hole in the ground.

World Traveler

We pack bikes for travel here. It's not our most requested service (that would be flat tire fixes), but we probably box up 3-4 bikes a month. Bikes get boxed for shipping, for going on airplanes as checked luggage, in moving trucks, or on Amtrak (I hear the rates are reasonable). You can buy bike specific bags and boxes, but unless you're going to do multiple trips it usually makes the most sense to pack in a regular ol' bike box. They're the boxes that bikes get shipped from the factory in- they're sturdy enough that if they're handled with reasonable care you can get a use or three out of them.

This particular box is super sturdy. It must have been in a batch of particularly well made ones. It first contained a new bike that was shipped to a shop in Portland, OR. That's where my buddy, Mr. E picked it up to pack his bikes for a move to Texas. Where I grabbed it from him to bring the Brown Machine back after my winter adventure. It's now going on a moving truck, headed for who knows where (probably the person moving, that's who). It's still in wicked good shape, so I hope it gets passed on for another journey.

SAG

I'm packing up the crappy wimpy shop truck for a weekend of SAG wagoneering! It's time for the American Diabetes Association New England Classic Tour De Cure. This will be the 4th year Hub has supported this ride (yes- since even before Hub existed). It's a good time. Lots of bike eye-candy, good people, plenty of flat tires to keep busy, and I'm told that if everybody finishes the ride diabetes will be cured money gets raised for the ADA.

Working support for a charity ride is the bike mechanic equivalent of camping. You do all of the things you's normally do in a day, but simpler and outside. It can require some creative problem solving. You never realize how often you rely on a bench vise to do your job, until you don't have access to one.

I'm stocking up with tubes, tires, extra cables, a chain or two, a handful of misc. bolts and brake pads.

There's a good chance I'll go through a bunch of tubes, and a tire or two. If you're headed out for any charity or organized rides this summer you clearly don't need to be this well stocked. I'd recommend a tube, tire levers, an inflation device (my faves here and here), and a multi tool. That should have you pretty well covered.

The shop will be open for regular hours- I (Emily) won't be here, but Erich will be. You know Erich? Nice guy, glasses, kinda beardy, knows a lot about bikes. If you don't know him- stop by on Saturday and say 'hi'.