Because bikes are assembled in the factory, bike shops can just take them out of a box and in less than twenty minutes, sell them to you. But the mass assembling of bikes in factories is still done with poor practices; nuts, bolts, spokes, brakes and derailleurs are screwed on with no lubrication, control wires are installed similarly dry. I totally renovate these parts by hand. That is fairly sim
ple and takes only a few minutes to take apart and reassemble. The most complicated renovation in my process is the overhaul of internal ball bearing assemblies. These parts are also factory-assembled with hardly any grease inside them. Hubs and other components that have ball bearings have to be dis-assembled and each of the parts must be visually inspected. I then re-build them. I can vastly improve them with cleaning and by replacing the ball bearings with much more precise ones. This is time consuming and it probably adds to the cost of my assembly, but this process makes bikes run smoother and makes them totally resistant to wear. The rider will thus enjoy more riding time and the components will need almost no adjusting and repair. The owner will save enough over the life of the bike to pay for the bike. Quotation from Blair Hornbuckle:
"I greatly value that time working with my hands, both what I learned from being with my father, and from the physical work itself. I learned a lot about quality, one word that really describes Roger Levy and the work he does at Freewheelers. The man just oozes quality, care, and gentleness. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance springs to mind, a book that weaves together philosophy and memoir, and reminds me of Roger’s willingness to share some of his great story, and to listen to yours. Excellent bikes and tuneups are a great bonus!"
Thanks Blair!
