fix it, gurl

ladies, i cannot stress to you how important it is to develop a skill to learn how to fix your own bike. not only to dodge those awkward moments when you walk into a bike shop and get stared down by some bike guru for not knowing how to adjust your seat, but to also gain your sense of independence from relying on others, like a boyfriend, to fix a flat, breaks, etc. something i realized after so many years of cycling and helping my friends with their bike issues is that it feels good to know how to take care of your own things and it saves you $$$. for the longest time, i depended on my old boyfriend to fix things for me when i couldn't do it myself. when he was no longer around i'd go to the bike shop where i was good friends with the bike mechanic and instead of asking him to fix it, i asked him to show me. i think he appreciated and enjoyed doing so. since then it's only been a few times where i would have to take the bike into the shop.

it's good to know how to do these things on your own. you never know where you'll run into a flat or something where you'll only have yourself to rely on. you'll always know how to diagnose a problem and have the necessary vocab to address these issues to your mechanic. makes everyone's lives easier, am i right?