In which Piers gets his hands dirty

My bike suffered a full-fledged component failure on Thursday last week.  After 4,000+ miles (that's not as much as it sounds, trust me), it was probably about time that an entry-level bike with entry-level components gave up at least something.  So, I have ordered a replacement part.  I am waiting for it to arrive, and in the meantime am taking some time to disassemble parts of the bike for some well-overdue cleaning.  I've discovered that I can be really patient and careful with tools when I have a need to be, and I actually take a lot of pleasure in tinkering like this.  I would replace more items on the bike if it were not for the cost of actually PURCHASING said items. 

Unfortunately, the only other bike I have is a single speed made for work commuting and really casual riding, not the more serious "exercise" riding I do in the mornings.  So for at least a little while, I'm going to be sitting on my thumbs.  And resisting the urge to BUY MORE TOOLS so I can TAKE THE BIKE APART EVEN MORE.

I also tried to make the argument to The Runner that this shows how much I need a third bike (I have my eye on this one), but she was not convinced, alas.