Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Mechanical Wisdom

 

Mechanical Wisdom

 

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving” -Albert Einstein

 

In attempting to do some work on my bike, I had to remove my bike wheel.   Under the watchful gaze of Denise and Barry I tried to perform this simple act according the counsel offered on Youtube.  After concluding that neither my technical expertise nor my brute strength would cause the wheel to budge, I decided to seek the counsel of the folks at the local bike repair shop.  My daughter Laura had given me a gift certificate for a bike mechanic class as a Christmas present.  I felt foolish that even my hard-won knowledge did not provide me with the ability to perform this simple task.  With some embarrassment I walked into The Bike Garage in Port Angeles to seek their counsel.  It came as a great relief that the mechanic was able describe to me those forces which could cause the wheel to become stuck.  Our common understanding of the physics of bike wheels gave us a common language in which to discuss the problem and for him to offer a resolution. 

 

I was touched that he would interrupt his busy day to explain in great detail what could be done.  He also gave me a 10 millimeter wrench to assist in adjusting the axle.  Our conversation reminded me of the discourse offered in Pirsig’s book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance which describes the inherent beauty of a well-built machine as well as the spiritual gift of patience required in working with such a machine.  It is with gratitude that I left the shop encouraged and confident.  The world is filled with kind people.  I heartily recommend all persons in need of bike counsel in Port Angeles to meet with the good people at The Bike Garage on Lincoln Street.

1 comment:

  1. Glad that you had a friendly and qualified bike shop close by!

    ReplyDelete

Arriving in Worcester

 It was a joy to be met by my sister and mother in Worcester