Does pushing the wrench button for a wheel out of true make me a bikesnob?

[SpokeGrenadeSR]

nah, it’s better to get those things fixed before they get worse..but is there a way for you to specify the issue? not sure they’d easily identify a slightly wobbly wheel.

[baiskeli]

@essigmw 17621 wrote:

I swear I only alert CaBi of a problem when it’s pretty bad, but I admit I’ve docked a bike and pushed the red button for a slightly wobbly wheel before (no broken spoke I checked). Early on I was going to push the button for a broken bell, but quickly realized that if everyone did that there would be few available bikes.

Riding a CaBi bike negates any latent bikesnobbery.

[jrenaut]

@baiskeli 17647 wrote:

Riding a CaBi bike negates any latent bikesnobbery.

I disagree – it’s just a different kind of bikesnobbery. I often use CaBi for the front end of going out (I did last night, for example). CaBi there, cab home. I am particularly snobbish about the time my wife and I biked to a party on CaBi while I carried a bottle of wine in my back pocket (Columbia Commuter Pants are awesome that way).

I generally don’t hit the button unless it’s really affecting the ride. I probably wouldn’t for a slight wobble, but I don’t think you were wrong to do it. Did you flip the seat around backwards to show the bike was broken?

[Mikey]

@jrenaut 17648 wrote:

I. Did you flip the seat around backwards to show the bike was broken?

Yes, of course. Heck I have been known to turn around seats on bikes with the solid red light that I didn’t report.

[brendan]

My first CaBi ride, the front brake wasn’t adjusted properly (very very squishy, much better braking power in back). I hit the red button for that. Anything that seems to be a safety issue, no matter how small, is worth reporting, I think.

[DaveK]

My conundrum is do I hit it for the bell. Since I’m between commuter bikes I’ve been commuting on CaBi, and with every school kid in the world here on spring break there’s been a couple of rides where I REALLY wish the bell had been working.

[KLizotte]

@DaveK 17744 wrote:

My conundrum is do I hit it for the bell. Since I’m between commuter bikes I’ve been commuting on CaBi, and with every school kid in the world here on spring break there’s been a couple of rides where I REALLY wish the bell had been working.

I’d say if there are a lot of other bikes on the rack for people to use then push the button. Last thing we need is a tourist newbie trying to negotiate the Mall without any kind of warning. A simple half-fix to the problem of bad bells is for the manufacturer to install a bell on each side of the handlebar. At least then you have a 50/50 chance of one working. And the chance to double ding people!

[Author]

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