Winter is over, what about your bike?

For me winter ends when the first spring training game is broadcast and you can hear Ernie Harwell say "For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land". That was on March 1, so I'm a little late. Now is a good time to take you bike in for a tune up, now when weather is still bad. A trip to the mechanic save you grief on the PALM (or any ride) later. PALM does have bike shops accompanying the tour. They have lots of parts and charge very reasonable rates. But they most likely they won’t be where you are when you break down so you’ll have to be sagged to where they are. They set up at the sites and do repairs at night, but you will be in line with everybody else who didn’t get their bike looked at. Think about it. Take your bike in now.

I followed my own advice and took my bike in last Saturday. It’s being worked on now. Of course, it’s 70 outside now too. It looks like the official end of winter is not the only thing I’m a little late on. Fortunately I have another bike. It’s a mountain bike and it’s heavy, but that’s what I get for being late. It has knobbies and maybe that’s a good thing.