It usually happens that when something goes wrong with one bike, something also goes wrong with my other bike. I have two road bikes, which is kinda stupid, but I haven't been able to part with my 14 year old steel frame, workhorse, "B" bike and replace it with a mountain bike. Friggin' sentimental value. It was on this "B" bike that the brakes were squealing like a vampire bat on acid, so I made a big production out of cleaning the pads and wheel rims, and when all was said and done, a piece of the caliper spring assembly that pulls the brakes apart when you let off on the brakes was busted.

I went to Noe Valley Cyclery this time, and Larry noted that it had been a while since I had bike trouble since I hadn't been around. At first he thought I might need a whole new front brake, with an estimate over $100 for a higher end one, but when he took a closer look at it, he ended up being able to fix it. No charge. When he rolled my bike out and asked if there was anything else, he noticed a very, very subtle side-sway looseness to the rear wheel, and took it back to see if it was either a broken axle or just a loose bearing. It was a loose bearing. He tightened it. No charge. I ended up buying a pair of cycling gloves and a shop water bottle and gave him $20 for a $16 charge.

As I rode out of Noe Valley, the brake squeal was worse, like a cage of vampire bats having acid poured on them. Cleaning the pads and rims were decidedly not the answer. People were looking at me as I came to stops, it was pretty horrible. Fingernails on blackboards had nothing on this ungodly shriek. I decided it was time to implement a tip I got from Frank at Avenue Cyclery a while ago. I bought a box of chalk for $.86 and rubbed chalk all along the rims. Worked like a charm. The bats are sleeping peacefully, thank you.