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Alaskan solutions
Dec. 8th, 2016 02:45 pmNow that the temperature is regularly below freezing, I decided it's time to put the bikes away for the season. (The streets are still clear, and in honesty I could probably add extra layers and keep it up, but planning a little extra time to catch a warm bus - even a warm bus that can be a bit unreliable time-wise - is frankly much more appealing than biking into a freezing headwind.) Our building has four bike hangers in the storage area and significantly more bikes, so I'm a little concerned about storage, but I check and - hurrah! - two of them are still free. I go back up to the porch, intending to unlock their respective cable locks and take them downstairs to hang up. Instead:
--I try to unlock Brian's bike, only to discover that his cable lock is frozen shut. Luckily, being Alaskans, we always have WD-40 on hand; I grab the bottle, squirt some into his lock, and work it in. Still no luck.
--I move over to try my bike, which has been used more recently, and that lock is frozen too - although a quick squirt of WD-40 solves the issue. I wrap the cable lock around the bike for storage and carry it downstairs, marveling at how much lighter it is without the 30 to 40 pounds of pannier bag I usually have attached when I'm going somewhere.
--I put the bike on the rack, only to realize that it's competing for space with the building's lawnmower. Some rearranging later, I manage to get the lawnmower and bike occupying minimal space without blocking the door. Partial Success!
--Encouraged by my triumph, I decide to tackle Brian's bike now rather than putting it off until later (when the other hanger may have been claimed). The WD-40 still hasn't de-iced the lock, so I default to the next trick in the Alaskan's arsenal and grab my salon-quality super-hot high-power blowdryer (thanks, Ian! Your Christmas present has been so useful!) and take it outside. The extra-long cord is juuuust long enough to reach from the plug to the other side of the deck, where the bike is.
--After a minute of blasting with extra hot air, the lock reluctantly opens. I squirt the end pieces for good measure, working them in and out a few times, and then wrap the cable around the bike and carry it downstairs, hanging it on the spare rack. Complete Success!
I'm just glad I didn't have to get the torch-style lighters out - I doubt the cable locks' plastic housing would have stood the heat...
--I try to unlock Brian's bike, only to discover that his cable lock is frozen shut. Luckily, being Alaskans, we always have WD-40 on hand; I grab the bottle, squirt some into his lock, and work it in. Still no luck.
--I move over to try my bike, which has been used more recently, and that lock is frozen too - although a quick squirt of WD-40 solves the issue. I wrap the cable lock around the bike for storage and carry it downstairs, marveling at how much lighter it is without the 30 to 40 pounds of pannier bag I usually have attached when I'm going somewhere.
--I put the bike on the rack, only to realize that it's competing for space with the building's lawnmower. Some rearranging later, I manage to get the lawnmower and bike occupying minimal space without blocking the door. Partial Success!
--Encouraged by my triumph, I decide to tackle Brian's bike now rather than putting it off until later (when the other hanger may have been claimed). The WD-40 still hasn't de-iced the lock, so I default to the next trick in the Alaskan's arsenal and grab my salon-quality super-hot high-power blowdryer (thanks, Ian! Your Christmas present has been so useful!) and take it outside. The extra-long cord is juuuust long enough to reach from the plug to the other side of the deck, where the bike is.
--After a minute of blasting with extra hot air, the lock reluctantly opens. I squirt the end pieces for good measure, working them in and out a few times, and then wrap the cable around the bike and carry it downstairs, hanging it on the spare rack. Complete Success!
I'm just glad I didn't have to get the torch-style lighters out - I doubt the cable locks' plastic housing would have stood the heat...
