Every 50 years or so, the wheel bearings and hubs on the Blue-Bradshaw CCM get a Varsol bath, whether they need it or not.

The front wheel on this 1964 bike is original CCM and a straightforward job. Once the lock washer is off you pull out the bearings. They come in a clip for easy removal and installation. That’s a luxury compared to some wheels equipped with loose bearings, one of which usually falls out in your haste to extract them. This can lead to an all-fours scavenger hunt on your basement floor.

You fish around in your blue bin for a suitable plastic container that will become the bathtub for your bearings. The bearings are immersed in Varsol and gently jiggled with a screwdriver to loosen the gunk, then rolled on clean paper towel until clean.

You apply a liberal coating of Teflon Super Lube to the bearings, repack the hub and adjust the lock washer so the wheel runs smooth but tight.

The next bath is scheduled for 2064, when this bike mechanic will be 103 years old. Is it possible to book that in your Microsoft Outlook Calendar?

The rear wheel is more complex and compelling. It is a UK-built Dunlop, likely added at some point to keep the bike going when the original CCM wheel, with Hercules hub, was damaged. The Dunlop wheel sports a New Eadie rear hub and coaster brake, a make associated with the UK BSA company, famous for motorcycle building.

The hub is a work of art and engineering. Its bearings float the bike on the wheel, and inside the cylinder resides an ingenious coaster brake mechanism. When the rider backpedals, the mechanism engages a drum that presses into the inside of the hub, braking the bike.

The coaster brake reminds you of your first bike, a red one-speed beauty. You remember the sudden realization that your Dad had let go and you were pedalling solo down Shadwell Place. You took the turn around the cul de sac island too fast, hit the curb, wiped out and chipped your tooth.

But you were right back in the saddle and exploring the winding roads and ravine trails of Don Mills with your buddies. After a while you developed a special talent for braking the bike while riding with no hands, a trick exercised with a certain air of nonchalance.

You are not religious, but reassembling the New Eadie coaster brake is an act of faith. Following the standard Varsol bath and coat of Super Lube, everything clicks into place. The hub adjustment is a bit finicky and will need to be checked again when the bike is road tested.

But for now, you have got your bearings. The wheels on this vintage bike are true with spokes adjusted or replaced, and ready for some new rubber.