Isn't it a sign of backwardness of the bicycle industry that one has to go to three different shops to get a pair of fenders and mount them? The first shop, Urbane Cyclist, sells me the fenders, but doesn't even know if it'll actually fit, so they borrow me some tools to try to mount them... I have to work in the street in front of the shop. It turns out that I need some extra bolts and they give them to me. But then I need even more bolts and working in the street really sucks, so I give up and take my fenders and extra bolts to the Bikechain workshop. But Bikechain is closed on Mondays, so it's one day of waiting and then the satisfying experience of having a proper work stand and all the extra bolts and washers that I need.
The only thing that Bikechain is lacking is a tapping tool, so I still have to go to another place to finish the last part of fender mounting. Bike Pirates is that place, but they are only open on Thursdays and Saturdays, so I am currently riding Cindy with a half-mounted fender.
Further updates soon!
Update: The situation is even worse than previously described. I waited two days for Bike Pirates to open only to hear that they don't have a tapping tool either. Then I immediately went to CBN (Community Bicycle Network) who had a tapping tool, but not of the right size. Their solution was to simply force the bolt in (something the people at Urbane Cyclist explicitly told me not to do). Bloody amateurs! I also inquired CBN about a rack and they told me to mount it against the seat-post although Cindy already has special mounting points for a rack in the frame. Now I really don't trust those people any more!
On the positive side, the fenders are completely mounted now and I hope that the forced bolt will never have to be taken off (e.g. when the fender is bent and has to be straightened).
Stay tuned for the story about the rack!
16 July 2008
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