This guest article was written by Tori Bortman, owner and operator of Gracie's Wrench, which offers private and group bike maintenance clinics (and more). Tori wrote a similar article for us last spring, but this one's new and improved!

Spring is coming!
(Photos © J. Maus)

Thanks to El Nino, spring has officially sprung a bit early this year. Not that I’m complaining. More long weekend rides, less getting caught in torrential downpours -- I’m all for it.

You may be ready for spring... but is your bike?

If you haven’t taken the time this winter to give your bicycle a thorough re-vamp, now is the time. That doesn’t mean you have to go running to the shop. Start slow and bring your steed back to life with some simple steps that will make your next ride practically dreamy.
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Perhaps BikeCraft yielded the perfect holiday gifts for every bike lover in your life. But if you need that one last perfect item, check out the book suggestions below -- or browse through our Bookstore for even more inspiration.

December 21st is your deadline for shipping via priority mail; or if you're in the Portland area, you can buy books online here and pick them up at the Powell's location of your choice. (more...)

Several readers have emailed me about this great project from Instructables. A group of students from MIT have created a system that uses a turning bike wheel to charge USB devices. It's not quite a consumer-ready product yet, but it's definitely got some promise.

Check it out:

How to Charge Any USB Device by Riding Your Bike - More DIY How To Projects

Tori Bortman
(Photos © J. Maus)

Editor's Note: This article was written by guest author Tori Bortman. Tori is very active in the local bike scene. She's a co-host of the KBOO Bike Show, a promoter of bike polo and women-only alleycats, and she's the proprietor of her own bike mechanic training business, Gracie's Wrench (which we reported about two years ago and was featured in The Oregonian this past Sunday).

Today she shares a few tips about how to coax your battered bike (and psyche) out of the winter doldrums and into the sunshine ahead!

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