Repair is Not Replacement

This post on Arthur Mag (or where it’s linking to: Platform21) is in agreement with my philosophy about being a bike mechanic. The DIY attitude and it’s inherent sustainability are part of the foundation of my changing careers and becoming a mechanic. Rather than increase our addiction to the flashy and exciting new consumption, fix that bike, keep it rolling and riding. More often than not we don’t need new; we need grease, we need lubrication, we need adjustment (and we sure as hell don’t really need ten or eleven gears either). Repair is keeping bikes working and in good order. The big names have a lot of history (Shimano/Campagnolo) one of the biggest reasons I prefer brand C is because it has a reputation of the ability to be rebuilt.

Have you tried taking one of these apart? Sacrificed Shimano 105 integrated shift lever.

In contrast, I’ve heard of some shops that refuse to work on bikes they don’t sell, or simply won’t work on “old” bikes. I assume their intentions are more in line with selling a new bike, but I don’t agree with that either; any of that attitude smells of ripe snobbery. If someone already has a bike, they don’t necessarily need (or want) a brand new bike, they just want their bike to ride better—to be repaired, not replaced.

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