"My Patch Won't Stick!"
🌈 Rainbow ombré Voile strap arrival imminent
DEATH, TAXES, & PUNCTURES
We've all been there...cycling on your merry way, then suddenly a hissing swirling noise appears and you can really feel the rumbliness of the road. That's a puncture my friend.
Like death and taxes, punctures are a way of life. The sooner you accept it, the sooner you can fix it!
In our #1 most popular Introduction to Maintenance class, we spend a good chunk of time teaching how to fix a puncture in a worst case scenario: the rear wheel has to come out, and you have to take the entire tyre off (entyre!) If you can do both those things, then a front puncture will be a piece of cake (or at least you can treat yourself to one when you’re done.) So if you've never taken a back wheel out before, or replaced an entire tyre, best to do that in a controlled environment under professional supervision. You'll be excited to get your next puncture!
HOWEVER - we don't cover how to patch a tube, because 1) not all tubes can be patched and 2) we are trying to cover as much essential material in 3 hours as we can. Turns out there's a lot, and patching got the cut.
HOWEVEREVER - this doesn't mean that patching has no place in our hearts, quite the opposite actually! So we are developing a lunchtime 1 hour puncture patching class (coming soon) AND we are going to teach you the secrets of successful patching in our next online class.
£5 INNERTUBE PATCHING CLASS
How to make sure that patch sticks!
Patching an inner tube is a super way to save money (they start at £8 in our workshop, and prices are only going up up up...) But not all punctures can be patched.
Mechanic Amie will be teaching our next online class.
Day: Thursday 25th January 2024
Time: 6.30pm
Place: Online (recorded)
You will learn:
- Which types of punctures cannot be patched
- The one type of puncture that CAN be patched
- How to make sure the patch sticks
- How to do a quick/lazy puncture repair
If you want to attend or get the recording, just become a £5/mo subscriber.
You'll also get access to our private Discord chat, invites to our monthly online classes, and access to our online class library.
Last month I talked about Bare Minimum Bike Maintenance. We're all about giving you tips on how to make your life easier, your bike happier, and how to save money.
MEET THE MECHANICS
Next up in our series is Amie Moss.
How did you get into being a bike mechanic?
I started off by volunteering at my local bike shop just after lockdown, having bought a new bike. I joined Jenni’s online fix-a-longs and loved the atmosphere and her approach to learning. Shortly after the online course, by some miracle LBK was hiring, so I took the leap and left my job.
What are the best things about the job?
There are many positives, but the anti-capitalist culture is a big one. There is no hierarchy and everyone treats people like people and not like machines. Plus we’re committed to debunking bicycle industry myths that only serve to encourage endless consumption.
What is the importance of having a women and non-binary-led workshop?
A workshop with only women and non-binary people provides a very different dynamic. It’s nice to come to work in a space that’s safe from lots of the problems of patriarchy. It’s also refreshing for our customers and it really gives younger people a great example of what’s possible.
~ interview taken from Cyclist Magazine
Voile strap delivery imminent
FINAL WINTERVAL SALE
Wanna get your hands on some of these for a tenner?
Prices go back on Monday 22 January 2024.
You’ll never know when a Voile strap will come in handy!
Mechanic Silvi is hosting a ride this weekend with LDN Riders
Escape the city with this flat 32km Social Ride out to Epping and back!
Starting at Fink's Pump House coffee stand in Clissold Park, the route (mostly on cycle lanes) takes us through Hackney and Walthamstow and up to leafy Epping Forrest where we'll stop for a coffee before heading back to Clissold Park. This ride is for everyone who identifies as female, transgender or non-binary.
The more the merrier, so please feel free to invite your female, trans, non-binary friends or loved ones! All they need them to do is register using this link: https://forms.gle/YRNi21tfSha7DLDy9
DATE: Sunday 21st Jan 2024
TIME: 8:45 for 9:00 start
MEET LOCATION: Fink's Pump House coffee, The Pump House, Clissold Park Mansions, N16 9DJ
DISTANCE: Approx 32km ELEVATION: 200m
ROUTE: https://www.strava.com/routes/3176544987899229350
We have 2 new test classes released as well:
That’s all for now friends. My brain is still mush, but it is slowly reforming back together 🧠
Ride on,
Jenni x
ps. there are new calls for the suspension of Israel from all International Athletic Events, including the bed-bugged Paris Olympics. You can read more about it and sign here.
