Both Human Powered lawnmowers and bicycles have become easier to maintain and repair. Remember the old days when it was a real chore to remove the blades and carefully sharpen them with a file and a stone? Not so today, you remove one wheel attach a crank and turn the blades backwards for less than five minutes and you’re good for another two years. No, you are not supposed to use it for three years and go buy a new one! What? the hardware store doesn’t have one and the salesman has no idea what you are talking about? Gee I wonder why? Think they want to sell you another mower? Well, try finding a locally owned mower shop and ask them to order one for you. Or, call the manufacturer. Retail hardware chains and department stores won’t help you!
Same with a bike! You can remove the wheels without using any tools at all, and changing brake pads is a snap.
So why is it that automobiles have become impossible to repair yourself? In 1956 most American men could fix most problems on their own car. Before I was 17 I could rebuild a carburetor, replace a clutch, and do a complete brake job. Now I can’t even find where to check the brake fluid! You can’t even check the transmission fluid on some cars, the instructions say it has to be done at the dealers. A Tune-up. . . Forget it! You need a diagnostic computer. Now, the cars have computers that send you an email telling you to take the car to the dealer and check the brakes, or change your oil. Where’s the email instructions on doing it yourself?
Today we can send pilots into space and change a solar panel on a Space Station, but I bet they can’t do a tune-up on their own car! We can’t make a car you can fix yourself. For my money we built better cars in 1956 than we do today. I think I’m going shopping for a bike. Think they’ll take a trade-in for my Pontiac? But first I’m going to sand and paint the wheelbarrow before it rusts out. It’s either that or go buy a new plastic one at Wally World and haul them both to the landfill next year.
Brer
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