It TOOK A LOT TO GET THE 7-SPEED SUNTOUR FREEWHEEL OFF MY 26-YEAR-OLD TREK 720 MULTITRACK. A LOT OF SWEAT, A TON OF WD-40, AND EVENTUALLY, A HAMMER. WHEN IT FINALLY CAME LOOSE, BALL BEARINGS EXPLODED ACROSS THE FLOOR OF MY PARENTS’ GARAGE, DISAPPEARING UNDER SHELVES AND INTO DUSTY, SPIDERWEBBY CORNERS. IT WAS GOING TO BE IMPOSSIBLE TO RETRIEVE THEM, BUT SURELY THAT WOULDN’T BE A PROBLEM. I’D JUST BUY MORE, ITHOUGHT.
THREE HOURS AND FOUR SHOPS LATER, IT FELT LIKE NO ONE IN THE WHOLE CITY WANTED TO SELL ME BALL BEARINGS. BALL BEARINGS, IT APPEARED, WERE THE SORT OF THING THAT EVERYONE AGREED WOULD BE EASY TO FIND – THEY’RE JUST SMALL METAL SPHERES – YET NO ONE STOCKED THEM. SITTING IN THE PARKING LOT OF YET ANOTHER…