Steven Thate’s bike lay in pieces in a laundry basket, stowed in a back room of Turin Bicycle, 1027 Davis St. But the sorry state of Thate’s primary means of transportation was his own doing. Over the last three weeks, the Evanston resident met once a week with assistant manager Joe Huebner in an “overhaul” class, replacing wheel bearings, discussing methods of preventative maintenance, disassembling and – if all goes well – reassembling his bicycle.
The class is one of four different service classes Turin offers during the winter months. Options range from the relatively simple “Flat Fix 101” to a class where participants can build their own bike wheel, a kind of arts and crafts opportunity for cycling enthusiasts.
Classes are sparsely attended at present, but Huebner said he expects numbers to rise as the temperature drops.
“In January and February is when we’ll have the most classes and the most students signed up,” he said. “After the holiday season in the dead of winter is when we see the most traffic because people aren’t riding their bikes as much. Right now the people are still on their bikes, the weather’s still good and people are gearing up for the holidays.”
Bcyclists must take care to store their bikes safely during winter months, Huebner said. Northwestern student Christian Pilling said he stores his bike inside when not in use, but he hasn’t always done so.
“I kept my bike outside freshman year, and it’s got a bunch of rust left over from that, so I’m a lot more careful about that now,” the Medill junior said.
If indoor storage of a bicycle isn’t an option, Huebner said, the next best thing is to try to keep the bicycle as dry and clean as possible.
Jon Londres, Turin’s service manager, said failing to take care of a bike can cost the owner as much as $100 in parts and maintenance when spring rolls around.
“Most of the things that are wrong with bikes when they come in after winter are (due to) exposure,” he said.
In addition to these service classes, Turin offers a free plyometrics class once a week, allowing bikers to stay fit during the months when cycling conditions deteriorate.
Anne Barnes, Turin’s marketing manager, described the classes as an exercise regimen designed to “increase explosive leg strength.”
“The basic premise is a series of hopping and jumping exercises,” she said. “It’s intended to train the muscles to contract and expand quickly and rapidly without a loss of power within the contraction of the muscle.”
Recognizing that a decline in physical activity often accompanies winter weather, Turin has offered the plyometrics class for the last five years.
“In a lot of ways, being able to do indoor aerobic strengthening exercises is really crucial so you’re not behind the eight ball come March, April and May,” said Barnes.
