By: Pamela Thompson, for The Bike Campaign
Happy February! The Bike Campaign and the Bike Garage are back from winter break, having given our intrepid volunteers a well-deserved break.
Current Hours
Both locations reopen the first week of February. Bike Garage – Davis, located at 606 Peña Drive, #300 will be open Wednesdays (1-5p) and Saturdays (8a-Noon) starting February 4, and Bike Garage – Woodland, located at 1st and Hays streets at Douglass Middle School, reopens Saturday, February 7 (9a-Noon).
The ABCs of biking
February is a month when we think about love, and your bike should get some love, too. Our annual Love Your Bike event helps cyclists get their bikes ready for Spring, and provides great information about the basics of cycling and how to keep your bike on the road and operating well.
You can start at home by checking your ABCs—air, brakes, and chain.
Air
Check to make sure your tires are properly inflated. If you haven’t ridden for a while, your tires may have gone flat. Pump them up to the recommended air pressure, indicated on the side of the tire. Check them the next day, and if they’ve lost a lot of air you may need new inner tubes. Inner tubes can wear out from age, hard bumps (like riding off curbs), or thorns or other sharp objects that pierce the tire and puncture the tube.
Brakes
Having fully operational brakes is essential. Check each brake individually by pulling back on the brake lever and engaging the brakes, then try to roll your bike forward. If you’re getting some slippage, you may need new brake pads or a brake adjustment.
Chain
Keeping your chain lubricated is important. If you have a lot of rust or dirt on your chain it should be cleaned or replaced.
Cyclists can bring bikes to either Bike Garage for a free bike inspection, and basic repairs can be done on site, although we don’t have the capacity to do more complex jobs. While we can inspect any bike, we currently don’t have the resources to do repairs on electric bikes, hydraulic brakes, or bikes that are severely damaged or rusted.
Everything else
We also have trained volunteers available to assist with helmet fittings, tire pumping, and basic bike education, as well as check your bike to make sure you have the proper reflectors., Yyour bike should have eight reflectors to be legal on California streets.
Need a bike to love? Come on by and check out our quality used bikes, fully tested and ready to ride. We sell helmets, bells, locks, lights and high visibility vests to keep you safe on the road and visible to other vehicles.
The Bike Campaign, along with its counterpart, The Bike Garage, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 to help educate people about bicycling and encourage more people to ride their bikes. We work closely with city governments, county health departments, school districts, and community service groups. For more information visit thebikecampaign.org, or find us on Instagram and Facebook.
