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[1.22.09] Dennis, My bicycle was a victim of Hurricane Ike. I sprayed it down with WD40, is there anything else that I should do?
Spraying it down with WD40 was a good idea in a crunch, but not a long lasting remedy. Spraying it down will SLOW the process of rusting and corroding on the parts that you were able to reach, but damage has been and is being done on the inside of your frame, wheels, hubs, etc...
The best solution is to have your bike completely overhauled (taken down to just a frame and parts, fully inspected, cleaned and fully tuned). That way, the bearings, chain and all parts of your bicycle are inspected and cared for properly. The cables and loose ball bearings will be replaced at no extra charge to you and your bike will be cleaned and fully tuned with no worries ahead. - Dennis
[6.9.07] Dennis, I am looking for a way to take my toddler on a ride with me in the mornings. Do you have a suggestion as to what I should purchase? I have been to some of the local shops and seen a few different baby seats as well as trailers. Is there any advantage or disadvantage to either?
The obvious disadvantage to the baby seat is that there is limited safety for the child. If you should take a fall for some reason, the child and the seat are going to fall as well. Also, having the extra weight of the child seat mounted directly to the bike is going to be fairly unstable for most people. The trailers on the other hand, are very safe and you hardly notice them even being there. They have seatbelts, full cage, storage and mesh screen. As another safety feature, they have a spring and hinge in the tongue of the trailer, so that if the bike falls over, the trailer stays upright and you have a happy child! The trailers are a bit more money, but in the long run, they are very much worth it. Thanks for the question, take care. - Dennis
[9.21.06] Dennis, I recently had my bike tuned-up at another shop. While there, they told me that I needed a new chain because mine was stretched badly. When I got my bicycle back, late I might add, it was slipping whenever I put any pressure on it. I wasn't having this problem before it went to the shop. Is there a reason for this or should they have not replaced my chain? This is frustrating!
Okay, first lets count to ten. breathe. Much better. I definitely understand that it is frustrating to get your bike home only to have to take it right back to the shop. The shop was absolutely right for suggesting that you should replace your chain if it was worn. The thing with replacing a chain is that you have to make sure that it hasn't worn out the teeth on your chainrings, cassette or freewheel. Your cogs, rings and chain wear out together. If you continue to ride with a bad chain, you are less likely to be able to put a new chain on your existing gears without it slipping and more likely to end up over your handlebars , on your head and wondering why you didn't take up jogging. Without having seen the bike, I can't tell you what is wrong for sure. This is just one possible culprit. You could be having problems with your freewheel or freehub. What I suggest is that you take it to my shop immediately!!! HA!! Just kidding. Giving your shop the benifit of the doubt, It may have been an oversight due to how busy they were at that particular time. If you bring it to their attention, I'm sure that they will take care of the problem for you. Thanks for the question, take care. - Dennis
