The first low was when I couldn’t keep up with two guys crossing the Mendota Bridge. I usually pride myself on being able to keep up with others, and I just couldn’t do it. My excuse is that when I started riding home I pedaled really hard and my thighs were not warmed up yet, and hurt the whole trip after. Weak excuse but that is how I perceived it. As one of my friends named Jim says: “the problem young people have is they don’t know how to pace themselves.”
my bad.
The second low came just as I was coming up along the exit from 55 to Hiawatha. I was being passed by a polite guy on a red lugged Trek and a small sparrow flushed out of the shadows missed him and hit my front spokes with a “BONG!”
I think I killed it....
I don’t know....
So I entered Minnehaha Park not feeling so good. I felt slow, dehydrated, and like I had just run over a song bird.
But then a chance to redeem myself!
A person in distress! Pushing her rusting yellow Schwinn Collegiate with a flat rear tire.
“Do you need a pump, patch, or a tire?” I ask pulling up. She wasn’t sure. So I triied putting air in. No good. So I call Shannon’s phone tell it I’ll be 15-20 minutes late. The nice thing about dealing with older bikes regularly is that you come prepared for working on older bikes. The back wheel was held in place by a 17mm bolt. I happen to carry a 17mm socket. It took but a moment to pull the wheel and then the tire off, and another to find the tear. Less than 15 minutes to patch and reassemble the wheel. The tire was old and the rubber was starting to crack apart so I pumped the tire up to 60 psi not the 90 it prescribed.
We hopped onto our bikes and headed our separate ways. I had new energy, becasue I had been of some use.
If you are reading this, your bike needs new tires. they can be had cheaply, two for as little as 20 bucks or so, but you’ll be happier for it. Patch kits are nice and also cheap. And a crescent wrench can solve a lot of the world’s problems.
I finished off the evening with a nice Barley Wine style ale with some delicious chicken tacos Shannon made. I’m feeling pretty good about the day as a whole.
3 comments:
All done wearing cotton boxers I presume.
When I see another bike on my commute, I sometimes have to use a lot of restraint not to chase. Even going so far as to stop and dismount to prevent it.
not yet. mostly it is a problem of cling. what I was trying to escape with a leather seat was smoother less abrasive ride. Which is exactly what happened. But I think I can do even better.
I'm just not ready for lycra yet...
you didn't feel any remorse after eating the chicken taco, yet you did when you hit the sparrow? hmmmmm... poor chickens....
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