Bozeman Bike Kitchen Newsletter - May 5th, 2010

Bozeman Bike Kitchen Newsletter - May 5th, 2010 Spring ReCYCLE Drive Mark your calendar for Saturday May 15th, 2010 and bring your unwanted bicycles and bicycle parts down to the Bozeman Bike Kitchen for our Spring ReCYCLE Drive. We'll be at the shop from 10:00am until 2:00pm collecting bicycles and parts serving coffee from the gracious folks at the Leaf and Bean as well as bagels and some other goodies. Help us in continuing our mission of refurbishing and redistributing bicycles during 2010 and beyond! Click the image to see a high-res pdf version of the flyer. Spring Induces Bicycle Frenzy - by Ben Donatelle Spring is in the air, the tulips are blooming and the grass is greening up. As the glacial activity of the road-side snow banks begins to recede and reveal gravely moraines in their wake, its time to think about spring biking. Taking off the studded tires and sprucing up the bike is a defining moment for many in our snowy climate. The impending break in the weather gives us all a chance to take off some of our layers and ride care free, at least for a couple of months. The warm weather is fast upon us, and soon the smell of charcoal smoke and PBR will send many around the valley into a frenzy of summer excitement. It's easy this time of year to forget about routine bicycle maintenance, however, taking just a few minutes will dramatically increase your enjoyment of riding this summer. Whether your going from a backyard -que to front yard croquet match, or from a Wednesday night bike polo game to Saturday's Farmers Market its always better to ride a bike, and riding your bike is much better when it works right. As always, the best thing you can do for your bike's health and wellbeing is give it a good bath. Like with any loyal friend, sometimes you just have to get down and dirty with some soapy water and really scrub 'em up. Clean all the caked on grit and grime from the chain, the gears and the derailleurs - if you haven't stripped them off yet. Use an old toothbrush and some bio-based degreaser. Refresh all those parts with a couple of squirts of chain lube; make sure you hit the pivot points of the derailleurs and brakes and all the cables. Wipe it all down with a dry rag and you're ready to go. If your wheels still just aren't running as smooth as you'd like, then pedal (or push - as the case may be) your bike down to The Bike Kitchen on Tuesday or Thursday nights from 6 - 8 pm. The friendly staff will gladly dole out some advice and help you spruce things up, even if you just need some air in your tires. If a new (used) bike is in your future, volunteering is a great way to meet new friends and earn your way towards some wheels. It also helps the Kitchen reach its mission of getting more recycled bikes on the road, which is good for the planet, good for our health as a community and good for your sanity - which you have to admit, after the long winter is a little questionable, right? The Kitchen is always looking for volunteers to help fix up our impressive collection of well loved machines, plus it's a great way to learn about bike mechanics from a community of folks that love bikes too. Fixing up and getting on your bike is one of the best ways to enjoy in the spring. The weather is improving so its time to get out there and ride. Spring ReCYCLE Drive May 15th is the Bike Kitchen ReCYCLE drive which also kicks off Bozeman Bike to Work Week put on by BABAB, various local cycling clubs, as well as local retailers. Keep an eye out around town for the poster below and show your support for local cycling. Click the image to see a high-res pdf version of the flyer. Our Mission We are a cooperative cycling center dedicated to making the use of bicycles as transportation and fun possible for all members of the Bozeman community. We need volunteers of all ages and abilities to help us refurbish bikes. We are located in the garage behind 425 E Aspen. For a map, please visit our Web site at bozemanbikekitchen.org.