A service with a smile

Today is a cycling day.  Well, sort of.  I'm still trying to pretend I'm not ill while suffering immensely with a horribly cough (and, now, you'll be pleased to hear, the occasional sneeze), but there was a more pressing health need than my own at stake today.

After getting up early to vote this morning, I got on my bike and cycled down to the gatehouse to the reservoir where I went swimming a couple of weeks ago and dropped it off with Jon at BikeMech for a service.  In 10 days' time (gulp!) my bike will need to go through a (probably quite rudimentary) safety check on the way into the triathlon transition area and, as it hasn't ever had any work done on it or been looked at from a technical perspective by anyone other than me, James and the nice guy who fixed my toe clip a couple of weeks ago, I figured it was probably about time that someone cast a professional eye over it.

Over all, it wasn't in bad shape, but my perennial gear problem has been playing up a bit lately and I also had an issue with the front mudguard (mostly that it was held on by one bolt when it should have four, and the wires that were supposed to hold it on were all bent the wrong way from it being folded).

I rolled up to the workshop just after it opened and was greeted by Jon's beautiful dog, who keeps him company while he works.  Having made a new friend, I knocked on the door and poked my head around to find a tardis-like set-up that the Doctor would be proud of - tools and parts as far as the eye could see (which wasn't very far, but you get my drift) and there were at least three bikes in there as well.

After Jon had taken my details, I left my "baby" with him and caught the bus to work.  It always seems a bit odd when one has cause to go on public transport with a cycle helmet and bag but without a bike.  I got some very funny looks.

This evening I left work a little early to go and pick the bike up.  The dog was snoozing this time, and Jon had the bike all ready.  I gave it a quick spin up to the filter station and back and the improvement was enormous - it just feels, well, better.  The gears are smooth, the brakes are good and, importantly, my front mudguard no longer flaps about in the wind.  The cost of all this fine tuning?  £25.  I was amazed at how little it was.  I shall be returning.