Motorcycle Maintenance

At some point during my time in Boston I noticed a grinding sound coming from some unknown place roughly between the road and my bike seat. Naturally I ignored it until I was leaving Amherst when it struck me that now was a good time to check my fluid levels, my horn, my lights and my chain. The grinding sound was coming from my chain, which not only was bone dry, but had rust growing on it. I had totally forgotten to lube my chain since leaving Montreal, something I should have been doing nightly. And wouldn’t you know it, I left my lube in Montreal.

It was Sunday and I was having no luck finding a bike shop open anywhere in southeastern Massachusetts. For fear that my chain would break and fly off while I was riding at 125k, I pulled into New Haven and did some internet research on lube alternatives. I didn’t find any, but I did find warnings against using WD-40 as a chain lubricant. I rushed to the nearest drug store, bought a can, and fixed myself up so that I could get to New York where I could find somewhere to have my chain serviced.

Monday morning I ended up wandering around Harlem looking for Cycle Therapy;  in my usual haste I wrote down the wrong address. I had the lovely experience of being called “baby” by a African-American woman with a smile as warm as the New York air. “Where your bike at?” she asked. “Just parked around the corner,” I said. She looked me over approvingly. “You ride safe now, baby.”

Grin.

I was greeted just as warmly at Cycle Therapy. The service guy recommended that the chain and sprockets be replaced. He also noted that my front brake pads were worn down and due for replacement, something that should have been noticed by the service guys in Montreal when they took it out of storage — or maybe not. Cycle Therapy also make an improvement to my front brake line, all for a total of almost $700. They threw in a can of chain lube for free. It’s nice to have mechanics who can keep my bike road worthy, but its time I start taking a more active interest in the various parts that make it all go. And stop.

While my bike was getting fixed up, I spent a little time taking care of my various parts. Sure, I worked through 5 boxes of files at the NYPL and 8 boxes at the GLBT community centre, and did an interview with a woman who I waited a total of five and a half hours for, but I also managed to get a manicure (soft pink) and pedicure (hot pink) on day one, and a massage and scrub at the Russian and Turkish Baths on day 3. Day 4 was a quick visit to the Alexandar McQueen exhibit with Beck Young, and today I screened a coming-to-a-theatre near you doc on ACT UP. I ate at Annisa, Veselka, and in Chinatown, and I walked everywhere but in Central Park. I was here long enough to miss the lady who does tai chi and the guy who plays horn at 7am along the Hudson River when I went for a run today at 10am. My host, filmmaker Maria Niro, feels like an old friend. Funny how quickly a place can start to feel like home.

Tomorrow I leave for Virginia where I’ll be spending the weekend with the parents of a colleague of mine. Bob Everton bought a Harley when he retired, and he also bought me and Cam Road Trip USA, a book that in some ways launched this journey of mine. I am pretty excited about having someone to ride with for a bit. Bob’s meeting me at the 7-11 along highway 1 just on the south side of Fredericksberg, VA. So long, New York!

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