Epic Bike Trip Around the Maritimes, Step 3: Try to stay zen while learning the art of bicycle maintenance

<p>.One sunny fall day ten months ago, I was headed downtown and I thought, "Why not take my bike? So much&#160; better&#160; than being stuck in a tunnel underground!" My back tire was a little flat, but no worries, I'd brought a pump. Except that there was something funny about the valve. Instead of putting air in, it took the air out. All of it. Now I had a tire that was a little bit&#160; more than a little bit flat, and no idea how to do the simplest of bike tasks: inflate. I cycled through perplexity to frustration to damsel-in-distress before settling on defeat. I locked my bike and took the subway.</p>
<p>There are no subways in Nackawic, New Brunswick (although they do have the World's Largest Axe). It's funny how quickly you can learn something when that knowledge bees essential. In the past two days, I took&nbsp; my tires off and put them back on.&nbsp; And then one of them conveniently got a flat so I took it off, found the leak, patched it, and put it back on.&nbsp; And then it exploded, so I took it off, switched out the inner tube and put it back on. I am now a proficient at removing&nbsp; and replacing tires. On bikes at least.</p>
<p>I'm also the proud owner of a set of Allen keys and a pedal wrench. I can take off my seat and handlebars, install a kickstand. I know how to use my pump and I have CO2 cartridges got when it fails me. I understand the history of bicycle frame construction and materials, but I didn't quite make it to the chapter on what to do if my chain breaks...  Oh well, every superhero has a weakness!