Bike to Work Week 2013

May is National Bike Month and this week is Bike to Work Week in Iowa City. Though I do not need to commute to work (all I need to do is roll out of bed) I am making an effort to ride my bike and walk as much as I can. I do that anyway, but this week I want to use my bike for longer distances — or at least equip myself to do so.

I bought my Specialized about two years ago and still need to procure a couple biking accessories, including one necessity. Bike to Work Weeks seems like an apt time to finally get them. So what do I need?

1) A lock. Before I ride any place where I cannot stash my bike in a garage or keep it within sight, I need a lock. The lack of theft protection is the only thing preventing me from riding it downtown or to the stores. I definitely do not want my bike stolen.

2) A pannier, which is cycling argot for a cargo bag. (One reason I do not like shopping at Geoff’s Bike and Ski is because the employees always seem hell bent on overloading me with insider jargon. They are never very helpful. Of course, I have yet to call them on it and complain so I have no reason to blame them for anything.) When I bought my Specialized, I had it equipped with a rear rack and resolved to get a pannier later. Later will hopefully be this week. If I bought a pannier, I could use it to haul six-packs! (There is a company that makes six-pack and bottle carries for bikes.)

3) A kickstand. My bike does not have a kickstand so I need to lean it against a wall or something else to store it upright. It is not so difficult, but I would like a kickstand.

Thinking about it now, I also need to learn how to maintain and care for my bike. I know very little about that. (Back in Huntington Beach, when I bought that piece of shit Giant Iguana, I learned how to replace the tubing, remove the chain, and adjust the derailleurs, but that knowledge has become very fuzzy over the years.) In fact, I have never even washed my Specialized. The World of Bikes website conveniently offers many tips and instructions and I just read the page about washing. I will need to buy some lubricant, too, because I just realized my chain is probably too dry (it is squeaking a little). I think it may be worth it to take a maintenance class.

So I guess I have a lot of work to do before I am Bike Month and Bike to Work Week compliant.