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ULEV

The Globe ran an article yesterday, titled “Many gas guzzlers are gathering dust” which should appeal to the schadenfreude in every compact-car driver, especially with this opening sentence:

In May, Holly Kennedy bought an SUV. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Of course, the lead photo shows a cyclist riding on the wrong side of the road, so we can’t have everything. And the article is careful to point out that any change in behavior due to relatively high gas prices remains anecdotal; there are no statistics to back it up.

Despite acquiring two new parking stickers for my car (Medford street parking and Tufts commuter parking,) I’ve not filled up since my last trip to Maine. It’s simply easier to walk or bike to campus than it is to drive.

The problem is that Heaven is showing signs of needing a trip to the shop. Skimming my repair manual, I suspect it would benefit from a rebuilt front hub (the front wheel wobbles) and a new chain (grinding noises, poor shifting.) It wouldn’t hurt to apply some touch-up paint in some spots, but that at least I can do myself.

I’m not afraid of walking, but being a few days without wheels will undoubtedly slow me down. I wonder how long they’ll need to keep it in the shop?

It’s picked up another sticker, too. It has three high-powered college registration stickers now.

Now Playing: I Predict A Riot from Employment by Kaiser Chiefs

Posted by pjm on September 20, 2005 9:45 AM |

Comments

P, the cones are loose on the front wheel. If they aren’t too bad, little or no dirt has likely entered, and simply tightening the cones will likely keep it on the road. If it needs regreasing, even that’s not a complex job, you just need to be cautious not to lose any of the bearings. (I’m assuming you don’t have sealed bearing hubs, which are very unusual.)

Have you lubed the chain recently? It likely needs it, and this may (though less likely) be a quick fix, too.

Posted by: Scooter | September 21, 2005 11:19 AM

From the book, I gathered that I lacked the tools for the job I needed to do on the hubs. I don’t recall exactly what I was missing, but the upshot was that I lacked the time to DIY, anyway. As for the chain, yes, lubing has helped; it’s possible the chain is still fine, but it’s showing enough symptoms that I figure I’ll at least mention it to the shop. It is a thirteen-year-old bike, and mostly OEM parts (excepting tires, maybe brake pads, and other aftermarket stuff like bar ends, lights, etc.) So I’ll have them look and see if I’ve guessed right. Too bad I can’t let Scoplaw play with it…

Posted by: pjm | September 21, 2005 7:53 PM

Cone adjustment requires only a cone wrench (pair preferred) and another wrench. The cone wrench is special as it’s very thin. And will take only about five min to fix, but with the other stuff, you may be right that a visit to the shop for PM is in order.

Posted by: Scooter | September 22, 2005 11:37 AM

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