I rode my bike to the caucus yesterday. After all, somehow I became a precinct delegate, and got voted to the nominations committee. I was a bit nervous to be pedaling thru this neighborhood. It almost qualified to be considered a rough area. But having reconnoitered the location ahead of time, I was aware that the less then 100 parking spots were in no way going to be enough for the expected turnout of 700-900 county level democratic delegates.
What amazes me is that our government is still around.. And sort of considered a world power (world bully, if you will)! Believe me, I am not some hyper aware, democratic rabble rouser. I’d probably be more inclined to accept labels such as libertarian, green party or anarchist. What an unaware, unorganized social gathering populated by the concerned; with awareness levels spanning the spectrum from completely unaware but wanting a change to educated by other’s opinions from late night tv; to the few possibly truly educated Phd’s who were there subliminally supporting their own agendas. Unfortunately I would count myself pretty close to the completely unaware, undereducated, concerned individual.
The only Zen of the day, was the bike ride to and from…Substitute Caucus for Circus and you have a more descriptive term for the three ring event. Prior to the county caucus, I received a 44 page booklet written completely in legalize. These were the rules. Each one of these carefully worded, politically correct sections circled around the laws and loopholes of party regulation while being as clear as obsidian. I translated what I could into laymen’s terms in the corners.
Even at this low level; who you know and money matters, LOTS! Some people Wanted to go to the state caucus. Some people Wanted their friends to go. The democratic party is ALL about Equality and Balance. Privacy is shoved aside as unimportant as they wish you to respond to questions regarding sexuality (are you straight, gay, transgendered, bi), What religion do you claim, What languages do you speak… ETC ad naseum.
If you are a protestant midget of Peruvian descent that is transgendered and speaks 3 languages with a high school education AND you are a democratic delegate… What attributes will another delegate selected need to have to provide a balance for you; aside from being ‘for’ the opposing democratic candidate. Oh and its your money, vacation day’s from work and time that you will spend, should you be elected as a state or federal level delegate. BAH HUMBUG.. But this is till better then having another primate in office.
Hours later, I slowly pedaled home. Being neither wealthy in funds, nor vacation time, I declined to be a state level delegate. These posts went to the fanatics, the monied, and the retired. Are these individuals’ true representations of the Democratic American public? You tell me. Personally I don’t think so.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
The 8 mile week
Out of abiding generosity, my boss shared his sickness. … You’d think with the marvel of separate offices. I wouldn’t have caught this! Sun, Mon, and Tues, I spent sleeping, cranky and whiney. Strep throat sucks. Antibiotics make my stomach queasy.
I came back to work Wed. But I got a ride. Same with today. I actually pedaled in yesterday, but not home… I am still tired, stiff and creaky.. I know at least half of that is from not riding except 8 miles all this week. Pedaling the 16 miles per day has pretty much become such routine that I feel better when I do it then when I don’t!!
I actually miss The Beast today. I looked over to be it is usually parked and there is a big empty space where is it usually leaned up against my desk. I think I will ride it to the county democratic caucus tomorrow. After all it will be a long event since I am on the nominations committee, so pedaling in will help me sit still.
In the 3 months I have been pedaling, this is the First week that I have not ridden at least 3-4 of the 5 days. I think part of my physical sickness is probably lack of my routine exercise and lack of hearing the birdies chirping their predawn songs as they begin to stir about while I am bike commuting in.
I can’t wait to be back to bike commuting next week!
I came back to work Wed. But I got a ride. Same with today. I actually pedaled in yesterday, but not home… I am still tired, stiff and creaky.. I know at least half of that is from not riding except 8 miles all this week. Pedaling the 16 miles per day has pretty much become such routine that I feel better when I do it then when I don’t!!
I actually miss The Beast today. I looked over to be it is usually parked and there is a big empty space where is it usually leaned up against my desk. I think I will ride it to the county democratic caucus tomorrow. After all it will be a long event since I am on the nominations committee, so pedaling in will help me sit still.
In the 3 months I have been pedaling, this is the First week that I have not ridden at least 3-4 of the 5 days. I think part of my physical sickness is probably lack of my routine exercise and lack of hearing the birdies chirping their predawn songs as they begin to stir about while I am bike commuting in.
I can’t wait to be back to bike commuting next week!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Weather ad Protien Snacks
Yesterdays pedal home was interesting but Not tasty!
The area was experiencing wind gusts from 22-35 mph (mostly from the direction I was coming from) SSE. I flew home with almost no effort and made it in 31 minutes!
Let’s talk about Texas weather. Two Firday’s past, I was screaming & jumping up & down like a kid. There was real Snow falling from the sky. Huge, soft, fluffy flakes. Not the ice that Texas typically gets. Last Friday, I almost melted on my way home. It was 87 degrees and the humidity was 85%. My face felt red, sweat was dripping, I got shaky. By the time I pulled into my driveway, I was shaky and so HOT I was queasy. Even coasting as much as I could, the double pronged fork of the heat index is going to be a major factor for the majority of the year for my bike commuting.
I am wondering will I develop better heat tolerance? Do you have any tips for combating the heat (it’s really a problem when the humidity is high)? Combining elevated humidity, concrete and exhaust from all the trucks is going to make for some warm commutes. Physically, I want to avoid the shakes and queasy feelings!
Texas heat index is the precursor indicating the flying bugs are once again staging a coup for world domination. I have a deviated septum, which really just means my nose is crooked… so I have one nostril noticeably smaller then the other, thus I have been breathing in from my mouth. Yesterday I ate my first CRUNCHY bug!! If anyone was standing in their yards as I passed at the moment of ingestion; I probably appeared t be enduring a grand mal seizure, as I attempted to spit and gag simultaneously! Maybe I need to keep some honey on the bike so I can dip the bugs prior to swallowing them.... create a sweeter protien snack!
The area was experiencing wind gusts from 22-35 mph (mostly from the direction I was coming from) SSE. I flew home with almost no effort and made it in 31 minutes!
Let’s talk about Texas weather. Two Firday’s past, I was screaming & jumping up & down like a kid. There was real Snow falling from the sky. Huge, soft, fluffy flakes. Not the ice that Texas typically gets. Last Friday, I almost melted on my way home. It was 87 degrees and the humidity was 85%. My face felt red, sweat was dripping, I got shaky. By the time I pulled into my driveway, I was shaky and so HOT I was queasy. Even coasting as much as I could, the double pronged fork of the heat index is going to be a major factor for the majority of the year for my bike commuting.
I am wondering will I develop better heat tolerance? Do you have any tips for combating the heat (it’s really a problem when the humidity is high)? Combining elevated humidity, concrete and exhaust from all the trucks is going to make for some warm commutes. Physically, I want to avoid the shakes and queasy feelings!
Texas heat index is the precursor indicating the flying bugs are once again staging a coup for world domination. I have a deviated septum, which really just means my nose is crooked… so I have one nostril noticeably smaller then the other, thus I have been breathing in from my mouth. Yesterday I ate my first CRUNCHY bug!! If anyone was standing in their yards as I passed at the moment of ingestion; I probably appeared t be enduring a grand mal seizure, as I attempted to spit and gag simultaneously! Maybe I need to keep some honey on the bike so I can dip the bugs prior to swallowing them.... create a sweeter protien snack!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
!Yet Another Equipment Break-Down!
At least this time it was actually the cheap Target bike, itself!
While I am thrilled to have more daylight after work… I felt like I was pedaling out into “…Night, when words fade and things come alive…( Antoine de Saint). The dark was intense with heavy grey clouds blanketing the sky, only an occasional star winking warmly with a streetlamp glow. Twice I heard large something’s nameless rustle in the bushes as I was passing. Spring break meant I did not even have the occasional ‘howdy’ from a crossing guard to cheer my passage.
Once I settled into a pedaling cadence, I noticed my left pedal felt as if it was loose, wobbling unstably against my metatarsals. I shifted my foot off and spun the pedal hoping the other side was better (stop laughing already!!). If anything it felt as if it was getting shoddier. As usual, nothing for it but to persevere.
Work arrived 32 minutes later. I stepped off The Beast and my left pedal crank arm crashed to the tile. A weird looking inverted shallow socket type bolt beside it! At least it departed company with the bike after I made it to work! I rolled the bike into my new green greenery filled office, placed the crank arm and offending nut on a paper towel then changed into my day wear.
After good naturedly enduring the ribbing from our intern and my boss (a college volleyball player and the guy y’all may know from Zen and the Art of Tri,)Brett offered to take the bike past the LBS today when he went to check on his 1973 Chicago Schwinn. We arrived at the shop just prior to opening, which was pretty cool. I got to witness on of the guy’s riding a brakeless fixey(SP?) back pedal and skid to a halt. It looked pretty cool and I was impressed!
Inside bike jockey/mechs were swarming around, changing shoes, wheeling merchandise outside, taking test spins on bikes. Similar to a specialized circus! We ooooohed the progress on Brett’s vintage Schwinn, and Rob looked over my Beast, got the right tool and tightened the crank arm back on! These bike tech guys are collecting my vast appreciation!
I think I need to ramp up the schedule for acquiring a new to me Commuter/trekker bike to handle my 80 mile weekly commute (and maybe some occasional for fun social bike rides…). I want to spend $6-800 for a complete set-up (bike, front light, helmet…etc since I am borrowing a helmet)( I have a good blinky light, and the rack & folding rear metal baskets should transfer) If you have any pro/con experiences or suggestions regarding this I am all ears!
“The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't. “ ~Henry Ward Beecher
While I am thrilled to have more daylight after work… I felt like I was pedaling out into “…Night, when words fade and things come alive…( Antoine de Saint). The dark was intense with heavy grey clouds blanketing the sky, only an occasional star winking warmly with a streetlamp glow. Twice I heard large something’s nameless rustle in the bushes as I was passing. Spring break meant I did not even have the occasional ‘howdy’ from a crossing guard to cheer my passage.
Once I settled into a pedaling cadence, I noticed my left pedal felt as if it was loose, wobbling unstably against my metatarsals. I shifted my foot off and spun the pedal hoping the other side was better (stop laughing already!!). If anything it felt as if it was getting shoddier. As usual, nothing for it but to persevere.
Work arrived 32 minutes later. I stepped off The Beast and my left pedal crank arm crashed to the tile. A weird looking inverted shallow socket type bolt beside it! At least it departed company with the bike after I made it to work! I rolled the bike into my new green greenery filled office, placed the crank arm and offending nut on a paper towel then changed into my day wear.
After good naturedly enduring the ribbing from our intern and my boss (a college volleyball player and the guy y’all may know from Zen and the Art of Tri,)Brett offered to take the bike past the LBS today when he went to check on his 1973 Chicago Schwinn. We arrived at the shop just prior to opening, which was pretty cool. I got to witness on of the guy’s riding a brakeless fixey(SP?) back pedal and skid to a halt. It looked pretty cool and I was impressed!
Inside bike jockey/mechs were swarming around, changing shoes, wheeling merchandise outside, taking test spins on bikes. Similar to a specialized circus! We ooooohed the progress on Brett’s vintage Schwinn, and Rob looked over my Beast, got the right tool and tightened the crank arm back on! These bike tech guys are collecting my vast appreciation!
I think I need to ramp up the schedule for acquiring a new to me Commuter/trekker bike to handle my 80 mile weekly commute (and maybe some occasional for fun social bike rides…). I want to spend $6-800 for a complete set-up (bike, front light, helmet…etc since I am borrowing a helmet)( I have a good blinky light, and the rack & folding rear metal baskets should transfer) If you have any pro/con experiences or suggestions regarding this I am all ears!
“The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't. “ ~Henry Ward Beecher
Monday, March 10, 2008
Equipment Issues Again!
It’s always something new and differrent to experience. And about every two weeks, that new and different experience seems to involve a learning incident.
Saturday I had a beautiful ride into work. Usually, I don’t make the commute on this day, but we were hosting a citizens GeoCaching outing. Go here to check out a cool uber-geek thing to do with the family or friends All you may need is a GPS, a compass and a little time. We had a great time looking for the cache. I found tiny crayfish, tadpoles and snails in a pond formed below a culvert from our melted Snow!! event on Friday!
The fun over, I hopped on The Beast, pointed north and headed for home. I was appreciating the great weather and the low traffic volume. A little past 1/3 of the route completed. I was buzzing across an intersection, and suddenly heard a Loud Zzzssssssssszzssssszszz and my front tire wobbled and sank.
The Beast’s front tire was flat. The Tire that was 15 days New! My slime filled 15 day old smooth mountain bike tires were already experiencing trouble. The beast is an inexpensive Target brand bike (Pacific), thus nothing is quick release about these tires. You need wrenches and sockets to get the front tire off. Plus I had no patch kit. I started walking… I called a friend…. I called the LBS that I got that installed the tires.
The owner of the shop was there and seemed a pretty cool guy. He removed the tire and pronounced it to have a Blown SideWall. So nothing I could have done to prevent this issue or avoid repeating it in the future. No charge and a new tire later, I was looking at a bike named ‘the long haul trucker’ by Surly and in the catalog at a bike named ‘the globe’ by Specialized. Unfortunately he didn’t have any commuter types available short enough for me to try out. He kept asking me what type of handle bars, pedals, seat, etc I preferred.. And all I could say was, “How would I know. The Beast is all I have ridden.”
I ended Saturday evening curled in my bed, looking at the pictures and reading the descriptions in the various bike and Yakima catalogs I had brought home. The gear-brands and even parts names were mostly Greek to me! Wishing that there was a Google translator that would take names like Shimanio and equate them with Edlebrock Delorto, Hurst, I daydreamed about the bike that isn’t yet mine, whatever it will be.
Saturday I had a beautiful ride into work. Usually, I don’t make the commute on this day, but we were hosting a citizens GeoCaching outing. Go here to check out a cool uber-geek thing to do with the family or friends All you may need is a GPS, a compass and a little time. We had a great time looking for the cache. I found tiny crayfish, tadpoles and snails in a pond formed below a culvert from our melted Snow!! event on Friday!
The fun over, I hopped on The Beast, pointed north and headed for home. I was appreciating the great weather and the low traffic volume. A little past 1/3 of the route completed. I was buzzing across an intersection, and suddenly heard a Loud Zzzssssssssszzssssszszz and my front tire wobbled and sank.
The Beast’s front tire was flat. The Tire that was 15 days New! My slime filled 15 day old smooth mountain bike tires were already experiencing trouble. The beast is an inexpensive Target brand bike (Pacific), thus nothing is quick release about these tires. You need wrenches and sockets to get the front tire off. Plus I had no patch kit. I started walking… I called a friend…. I called the LBS that I got that installed the tires.
The owner of the shop was there and seemed a pretty cool guy. He removed the tire and pronounced it to have a Blown SideWall. So nothing I could have done to prevent this issue or avoid repeating it in the future. No charge and a new tire later, I was looking at a bike named ‘the long haul trucker’ by Surly and in the catalog at a bike named ‘the globe’ by Specialized. Unfortunately he didn’t have any commuter types available short enough for me to try out. He kept asking me what type of handle bars, pedals, seat, etc I preferred.. And all I could say was, “How would I know. The Beast is all I have ridden.”
I ended Saturday evening curled in my bed, looking at the pictures and reading the descriptions in the various bike and Yakima catalogs I had brought home. The gear-brands and even parts names were mostly Greek to me! Wishing that there was a Google translator that would take names like Shimanio and equate them with Edlebrock Delorto, Hurst, I daydreamed about the bike that isn’t yet mine, whatever it will be.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Fears of Your Non-Cycling Acquaintances
This probably needs to be posted under Bike Related Reactions of non-cyclists.
Thursday, I didn’t ride. I had a doctor’s appointment.. Per work protocol, I posted this information on an internal internet calendar, accessible by all my work-mates. The appointment was early so I wasn’t coming in to unlock my office prior to donating blood for the vampires of science.
Unaware of any issue, I made my appointment& donned the high fashion yet breezy apparel provided. Fasting over, I slipped back into my work clothes & swung past my house for a bite. Drama was 5 minutes behind.
Banging on my French doors, startled me from my foray into the fridge. My second boss up is standing outside the door, wearing both a worried and relieved expression on her bright face. During breakfast (Thurs we do a work family breakfast!!)They had missed me. My direct boss had forgotten I had a Dr. App… Because I had been a goober and forgotten my cell phone at work, they couldn’t call me. Concerns regarding my weird bike commuting habit… leached any thinking ability out of their brains. Each worried ‘what if’ story was more macabre then the last( some of the imaginative stories were pretty good! A few of my co-workers need to start churning out novels in suspense/horror drama.
Creeping along in her Suburban, my second boss up scoured the ditches for The Beast and I. If she hadn’t found me at home… they were going to start calling the hospitals and bringing out the dogs…. (Luckily I went back home after the Dr. App. to eat!!) I answered the door (thinking something terrible must have happened to my boss (recall is a tri or ultra runner)).
- If you bike commute, tell Everyone when you have a schedule alteration, so they don’t
stress themselves out imagining you splattered in the grill guard of a dually!
- Even people who drive Large SUV’s Still have Good Hearts!
- Co-workers become Family really quick! You may not be aware of it… but other people Do Care about your well being.
Thursday, I didn’t ride. I had a doctor’s appointment.. Per work protocol, I posted this information on an internal internet calendar, accessible by all my work-mates. The appointment was early so I wasn’t coming in to unlock my office prior to donating blood for the vampires of science.
Unaware of any issue, I made my appointment& donned the high fashion yet breezy apparel provided. Fasting over, I slipped back into my work clothes & swung past my house for a bite. Drama was 5 minutes behind.
Banging on my French doors, startled me from my foray into the fridge. My second boss up is standing outside the door, wearing both a worried and relieved expression on her bright face. During breakfast (Thurs we do a work family breakfast!!)They had missed me. My direct boss had forgotten I had a Dr. App… Because I had been a goober and forgotten my cell phone at work, they couldn’t call me. Concerns regarding my weird bike commuting habit… leached any thinking ability out of their brains. Each worried ‘what if’ story was more macabre then the last( some of the imaginative stories were pretty good! A few of my co-workers need to start churning out novels in suspense/horror drama.
Creeping along in her Suburban, my second boss up scoured the ditches for The Beast and I. If she hadn’t found me at home… they were going to start calling the hospitals and bringing out the dogs…. (Luckily I went back home after the Dr. App. to eat!!) I answered the door (thinking something terrible must have happened to my boss (recall is a tri or ultra runner)).
- If you bike commute, tell Everyone when you have a schedule alteration, so they don’t
stress themselves out imagining you splattered in the grill guard of a dually!
- Even people who drive Large SUV’s Still have Good Hearts!
- Co-workers become Family really quick! You may not be aware of it… but other people Do Care about your well being.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Day Dream Pedal
This morning‘s ride made up for yesterdays! The air was a crisp clear 30 degrees! Perfect! The wind was mild and spring had the birds all tweeting. Looking like a Goodwill reject I happily pedaled out the door in my Aaron sweater, a white long sleeve underneath, with an old pair of bright multi-coloured board shorts ending in a pair of brown vans. Yep my best riding attire, would give the ‘what not to wear’ team strokes!! 
I could smell the rain rising up from the grass. The majority of my ride I pretended I was pedaling in hills in Scotland. Squinting, I could make believe a mist was rising from the far off heather, blending with the scents of peat loam and early blooming lilac hedges. In my mind’s eye, it was glorious! I even had a Scottie dog hanging his feet over the front basket! I could have pedaled forever… or at least until I got hungry!
Then a pair of diesel duallies roared by. I was back in Aggieland. The good weather had people out stirring about... It’s been awhile since I have seen anyone pedaling, walking or running, aside from my morning ‘howdy’ with a crossing guard. Today I saw I guy on a recumbent, cross the road ahead of me and a jogger.
I left late and still got to work early then usual. Days like this, it makes you wonder why you were ever driving to work in the first place!
I could smell the rain rising up from the grass. The majority of my ride I pretended I was pedaling in hills in Scotland. Squinting, I could make believe a mist was rising from the far off heather, blending with the scents of peat loam and early blooming lilac hedges. In my mind’s eye, it was glorious! I even had a Scottie dog hanging his feet over the front basket! I could have pedaled forever… or at least until I got hungry!Then a pair of diesel duallies roared by. I was back in Aggieland. The good weather had people out stirring about... It’s been awhile since I have seen anyone pedaling, walking or running, aside from my morning ‘howdy’ with a crossing guard. Today I saw I guy on a recumbent, cross the road ahead of me and a jogger.
I left late and still got to work early then usual. Days like this, it makes you wonder why you were ever driving to work in the first place!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Wet Riding
Stubborn. It’s not always a good trait. Nicer words describing this characteristic are persistent, determined heading down hill with terms such as strong-willed, single-minded idiot. Pick one for me, any will fit.
The weatherman was predicating a cold front to blow in tonight, bringing with it some nasty storms. Like a groundhog, I poked my nose out the door around 5 a.m. this morning. The ground was damp, the wind was whipping…But it was 70 degrees and didn’t seem like rain was imminent. I stuck with my plan, hopped in the shower. A bit later I was pedaling out the door in my 5K t-shirt shorts.
First I was simply dank. Too warm to wear the (not breathable) rain jacket, I was soon damp, wet splotches darkening the baby blue cloth. My clear glasses were spotted, then steaming. Water began dripping down the helmet in a lovely trickle into my sports bra. The tires were making a consistent srsssssssshhhh noise, like pedaling thru a shallow stream. To top this fun, wind was coming in gusts up to 30mph against me. Yanking the front tire sideways in my hands occasionally. Weirdly I wasn’t afraid of the wet pavement, as I had thought I would be. I was scared the wind would knock me and The Beast over. YUCK.
I pulled up to the back door of work affronted with the day. It didn’t feel like a good beginning to a Monday. A wonderful friendly early co-worker was outside placing recyclables away and offered up a ‘howdy’. I could barely grumble out anything remotely friendly aside from a ‘pfffstt’ I dried off fine, then had to endure the well-meant, yet seemingly pithy comments of my caring concerned coworkers… (“Why did I ride in.. did I ride in this.. How was I getting home…”)
Now I have ridden in a light mist to mild rain. ICK! I would prefer to never do this again! Ever. How do you guys out there do it? I know people in Portland, Seattle and other locations with higher precipitation annuals do it. What’s the trick?
I still have to get home and the temp has dropped to 42. It’s supposed to be raining. And the wind will flip to be against me going home between 25-30 mph. AND I didn’t bring my Arron sweater... just that non-breathable rain jacket…. You can’t say that daily bike commuting doesn’t add a taste of adventure to the day. Every time it’s a new event!
The weatherman was predicating a cold front to blow in tonight, bringing with it some nasty storms. Like a groundhog, I poked my nose out the door around 5 a.m. this morning. The ground was damp, the wind was whipping…But it was 70 degrees and didn’t seem like rain was imminent. I stuck with my plan, hopped in the shower. A bit later I was pedaling out the door in my 5K t-shirt shorts.
First I was simply dank. Too warm to wear the (not breathable) rain jacket, I was soon damp, wet splotches darkening the baby blue cloth. My clear glasses were spotted, then steaming. Water began dripping down the helmet in a lovely trickle into my sports bra. The tires were making a consistent srsssssssshhhh noise, like pedaling thru a shallow stream. To top this fun, wind was coming in gusts up to 30mph against me. Yanking the front tire sideways in my hands occasionally. Weirdly I wasn’t afraid of the wet pavement, as I had thought I would be. I was scared the wind would knock me and The Beast over. YUCK.
I pulled up to the back door of work affronted with the day. It didn’t feel like a good beginning to a Monday. A wonderful friendly early co-worker was outside placing recyclables away and offered up a ‘howdy’. I could barely grumble out anything remotely friendly aside from a ‘pfffstt’ I dried off fine, then had to endure the well-meant, yet seemingly pithy comments of my caring concerned coworkers… (“Why did I ride in.. did I ride in this.. How was I getting home…”)
Now I have ridden in a light mist to mild rain. ICK! I would prefer to never do this again! Ever. How do you guys out there do it? I know people in Portland, Seattle and other locations with higher precipitation annuals do it. What’s the trick?
I still have to get home and the temp has dropped to 42. It’s supposed to be raining. And the wind will flip to be against me going home between 25-30 mph. AND I didn’t bring my Arron sweater... just that non-breathable rain jacket…. You can’t say that daily bike commuting doesn’t add a taste of adventure to the day. Every time it’s a new event!
Equipment Slagging
( This was suppossed to be Friday 02/29's post.. but I was experienceing resisitance from bogspot...)Yesterday was Beautiful. The wind was 14-16 mph from behind me! The Sun was out. Temperature was perfect at 64. I actually made the light at the end of my bigger hill so I was flying! The left gear was in 3, the right in 6 and the pedals were weightless, almost moving with their own centrifugal momentum. I was stoked and let out a WHOOP!
I felt a TWANG, CRUNCH vibrating somewhere under my seat… Before I could slow down a jerk preempted a horrible loud metal grinding pavement screech! I was now towing my baskets upside down up the street in 5:20 p.m.traffic with no bike lane. The %^$#%$^#metal bracket attaching the front of the rear rack to the seat post had snapped. Even if I had had bungies, or zip ties they would not have functioned for a temporary mend.
I called 3 people and after no answers, began walking. AKWARDLY. Flames erupting from the top of my head, I began trudging along; the left hand trying to steer... the right hand trying to hold the &^*&^&^% loaded baskets to the seat of the bike. A friend returned her missed call! After we wedged The Beast into her CRV, we headed over to the unsuspecting retailer of the apprehensible equipment.
Luckily the lovely companionable stroll with The Beast had given me adequate time to cool down. The door was still unlocked, so in we rolled. Initially the shop guy indicated that he thought I must be ‘overloading or misusing’ the rack & basket set-up. Mute testimony of day’s load was still tied in and offered contradiction.
End result: Cheap full suspension bike frames from Target engage in lots of vertical flexing. I purchased the wrong equipment for my bike. Neither the bike shop, nor the more knowledgeable folk around me, caught this error. New bruises and a few bloody scratches give witness that ignorance is not bliss. I owe Robert, the shop guy some serious appreciation for rigging a double metal replacement for the snapped part... and I still have to save for a new rack as this was a temporary fix. Worse, I am going to look like a 13 year old tomboy that was caught and roped into a silk dress at the wedding I will be attending this weekend!
I felt a TWANG, CRUNCH vibrating somewhere under my seat… Before I could slow down a jerk preempted a horrible loud metal grinding pavement screech! I was now towing my baskets upside down up the street in 5:20 p.m.traffic with no bike lane. The %^$#%$^#metal bracket attaching the front of the rear rack to the seat post had snapped. Even if I had had bungies, or zip ties they would not have functioned for a temporary mend.
I called 3 people and after no answers, began walking. AKWARDLY. Flames erupting from the top of my head, I began trudging along; the left hand trying to steer... the right hand trying to hold the &^*&^&^% loaded baskets to the seat of the bike. A friend returned her missed call! After we wedged The Beast into her CRV, we headed over to the unsuspecting retailer of the apprehensible equipment.
Luckily the lovely companionable stroll with The Beast had given me adequate time to cool down. The door was still unlocked, so in we rolled. Initially the shop guy indicated that he thought I must be ‘overloading or misusing’ the rack & basket set-up. Mute testimony of day’s load was still tied in and offered contradiction.
End result: Cheap full suspension bike frames from Target engage in lots of vertical flexing. I purchased the wrong equipment for my bike. Neither the bike shop, nor the more knowledgeable folk around me, caught this error. New bruises and a few bloody scratches give witness that ignorance is not bliss. I owe Robert, the shop guy some serious appreciation for rigging a double metal replacement for the snapped part... and I still have to save for a new rack as this was a temporary fix. Worse, I am going to look like a 13 year old tomboy that was caught and roped into a silk dress at the wedding I will be attending this weekend!
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