Something’s missing in this picture

As I was leaving my house yesterday, I noticed something about my bike seemed off. At first I wasn’t sure what was wrong, but then it hit me: “The wheels are gone!”

They’re not “gone” gone, but probably in a pawn shop somewhere near Park Slope, which isn’t very handy. The bike is resting in the backyard (pictured below).

Remember to lock both wheels in addition to the frame (a cable from Kryptonite through the wheels along with a solid U-lock is a good method).

For new wheels, the neighborhood shops are good choices: On the Move, on 7th Ave, and Dixon’s Bike Shop, on Union St. (Incidentally, both are marked on the New York City bike map, available for free from city bike shops or online.)

Flash forward two days, to the point where you have the wheels but don’t know what to with them. If you don’t have your copy of Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance nearby, Sheldon Brown, the Internet’s authority on all kinds of routine and arcane bicycle repairs, can help you.

Cost? About $150. Kids in the Hall’s Bruce McCulloch has an open letter to bike wheel thieves which touches on the important points:

Discount Squash

Supporting local business in Brooklyn is good in principle, but when a random internet store (in this case, squashgear.com) is selling racquets and other squash gear at around half retail price, principle goes out the window.

I just hope the gear I ordered—a quality racquet and shoes for under $150—doesn’t show up in a flimsy paper bag, covered in Hong Kong postmarks. (Like my last E-Bay purchase).