The other day, my chain fell off twice on my ride. That means that it’s time to do some bike maintenance. I ride my bike consistently enough that every year, about this time, I have to do a major service on it.

The thing I like second most about my bike – the first being how comfortable it is to ride – is how simple it is. For starters, it has no cables of any kind on it. Not for the brakes, and not for the gears, of which it also has none.

It has a very simple set of ball bearings in the pedals, and one in the headstock. The rear wheel is the most complicated part of the whole bike because the brake is incorporated into the hub. It’s called a coaster brake, and it’s often maligned by elitist bike snobs.

I love this bike. I’ve had it for 13 years, and like a modern bike of Theseus, I’ve replaced every piece of it in that time. Well, not every piece. The frame is still original; otherwise, I wouldn’t consider it the same bike.

Last year, I had to replace my rear hub, and while it isn’t totally fucked like it was a year ago, I think I might replace it again this year because my rear wheel is bent to shit the hub is a little grindy. I find that tends to happen over time. I also need new tires, and it wouldn’t hurt to replace my bearings.

But that’s all going to have to wait because I don’t have any of that stuff on me right now, so this afternoon, I did a little alignment and some tightening, and got through my whole ride with no problems.