I Rode A Girls Bike

I didn’t mention this a few days ago but, I rode my bike into the ground!  The last time I rode it home from work I had to stop and screw around with the back wheel for about ten minutes so that it would stop rubbing on the frame of the bike, and the crank and/or chain made a hideous noise any time I applied force (as opposed to just cruising)(so all the time).

So my bike has been in the shop since Tuesday I think.  My lovely wife took it in for me.  So I have been without my usual ride.  It’s not the first time.

The first time I can recall being without my bike as when I lived in Toronto.  Mississauga actually, while I attended U of T (University of Toronto).  I was riding my bike and cutting across some grass right beside Mississauga road.  I was about to ride over a sewer cover thinking nothing of it when the ground dropped out from under my front tire.  See the sewer lid was actually on like a concrete pedestal and the grass in the small ditch around it had just been cut even with the grass of the ‘lawn’.  BLAM! My tire hit it and immediately took on a more taco like shape as I was flung over my handlebars inches away from having my face on Mississauga road! My bike spent a couple of hours in the shop then too!

One other time I had my bike stolen whilst I lived in East City (Part of Peterborough), on the night after the first day of school no less. I was using that bike as my main transportation from work at Esso and going to college (the first time).  In the meantime while I gathered up some money to buy a new bike my dad lent me his hybrid bike.  I was used to riding a mountain bike, so it was a little different.

One day on that bike I was riding down Lansdowne Street.  The busiest street in Peterborough, heading toward work.  I was riding on the sidewalk, because, as I said, busiest street in town and not a bike lane in sight.  This was back in about 2001 after all.  Anyways, I was riding and I thought I spotted my stolen bike!  I was not wearing my glasses, because I only need them to drive, or read a chalkboard or whatever, so I was looking and looooooooking and looooo- BAM!!! Slammed my shoulder (somehow) into a hydro pole.  The ground and I immediately renewed our friendship.  Luckily I was not going that fast.

So today while my bike is in the shop getting repaired I rode Amber’s bike.  We adjusted her seat last night because when I took it for a short spin on Wednesday I figured she must have hobbit legs because the seat was so low.  Her legs are a smidge longer than mine and now the seat is in a much better spot.  Thankfully I made it home without incident, which should not be too surprising since our bike are actually identical except for that thing where the crossbar on a girls bike goes down on an angle instead of straight across like a boys.