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Tom Demerly ruined my life
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About a year and a half ago, I was poking around the Bike Sport Michigan website and ran across an article Tom wrote about bike maintenance.

http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/bikes/outofshop.shtml

Tom wrote "For every one hour the bike is on the road, approximately 15 minutes of preventive maintenance is performed." Since I read this article I've become obsessed with bike maintenance. Mind you, I do all my own work so I'm not spending any money, but I'm now a freak about washing my bikes and ensuring that they are always in perfect mechanical condition.

Of course, I'm now much more familiar with how everything works on the various bikes I own and ride. Nothing small and mildly annoying turns into something big and expensive. I rarely get flat tires because they're always inflated to the proper pressure and meticulously inspected for cuts and debris. Essentially, every part of my bikes lasts twice as long and works twice as well as they used to.

My life is completely ruined....

- Ken Velarde
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Re: Tom Demerly ruined my life [kvelarde] [ In reply to ]
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I think you are taking Tom too seriously. After all he run a business that also offers a bike service. In my area the LBS recommends that I do it once every 3 month and I cycle 17 miles to work and back everyday. In addition, I go on most Sundays for 40-70 miles all on the same bike. And my bike is perfect never failed except for two punctures in one year. But if you enjoy it than it is great.



However, my wife looked over my shoulder and she has few questions

Thanks Pluto.





Do you feel that your obsessions with bike maintenance causes you marked distress, are time consuming (more than 1 hour a day) or significantly interfere with your daily routine, occupational functioning, relationships or social achievements?



Do you have recurrent persistent thoughts, impulses or images that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate and caused you marked anxiety regarding the state of your bicycle?



Ask yourself if the thoughts about your bike are not simply excessive worries about real life bicycle maintenance and you try to neutralize them with some other thoughts or actions.



Do you find that your repetitive bike maintenance behaviours are based on rules that must be applied rigidly.



Are the bike maintenance behaviours aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation?



Did you at some point you realize and recognized that the obsessions or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable, perhaps during writing this post?



Pluto’s wife


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Re: Tom Demerly ruined my life [kvelarde] [ In reply to ]
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I am truly sorry for ruining your life kverlarde. Since I have no life myself, I am trying to wage a campaign of "life denial" on the rest of the world through obsessive bike maintenance.

Unfortunately for my plot, you have found me out. Damn.

I do think it's pretty darn important to keep your bike clean, so good job my friend.

Since you've seen The Way, let me give you some advanced tips: Get a couple cats. Keep your house really clean too. Travel obsessively. Spoil your cats. Spend too much time on Slowtwitch.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
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Re: Tom Demerly ruined my life [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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> Get a couple cats.

I've got a nearly 4 year old daughter. That cuts down on my free time.

> Keep your house really clean too.

Now THAT could use some work.

> Travel obsessively.

See answer to #1. Can't at least not obsessively.

> Spoil your cats.

Done.

> Spend too much time on Slowtwitch.

Obviously done.
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Re: Tom Demerly ruined my life [kvelarde] [ In reply to ]
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I should reveal that I think I do have a problem with bike maintenance:

1. I hide my bike maintenance from others.

2. I perfrom bike maintenance early in the day, almost every day.

3. Most of my social activities include bike maintenance.

4. Bike maintenance has interfered with my work. Well, it is my work.

5. I justify my bike maintenance to others by saying "This is what I do, it's under control."

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
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