my glam ride
Sep. 4th, 2006 11:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dirtylibrarianDear readers,
You may recall last year my bike was stolen. This year, I resolved to get a beater, fix it up a bit, and start riding it...and not to buy a great bike until I was firmly in the habit of riding. Well, in the spirit of taking things slow, and doing things right through baby steps, I picked up a free bike at a yard sale at the beginning of summer, got it fixed up for $50, and put it in my basement. There it sat for another month, as I tried to convince myself that I should at least ride it to the grocery store...but my brain always responded...milk is heavy, need basket! So about a month ago I bought a basket. I went to put it on, but brain said, but wait, I want to paint the bike first. So yesterday, in the middle of a super slow, warm, underplanned weekend, I finally pulled the bike out, masked up all the cables and such, and spray painted it silver, gold, and copper. Here are the gloriously silly results. Today, I rolled it down to the gas station, filled the tires back up, and started pedaling down the street, only to find myself in the midst of a gang of 7 year olds on bmxs. I felt like Pee Wee Herman on his dork-mobile! It was awesome. I went all the way to the food co-op, and back. Boy...nothing makes you feel out of shape like tackling hills with a three speed, after not biking for over a year! But I did it...I got the bike together, and went to the store before the summer was out...a small sounding goal, but a completed one none the less. Now I want to get a chain gard (my right calf was covered in grease), a rear view mirror, and a bell! It was super fun riding around, though I admit, I'm a bit scared of traffic.
Hope your holiday weekend was as relaxing and/or productive as mine!
You may recall last year my bike was stolen. This year, I resolved to get a beater, fix it up a bit, and start riding it...and not to buy a great bike until I was firmly in the habit of riding. Well, in the spirit of taking things slow, and doing things right through baby steps, I picked up a free bike at a yard sale at the beginning of summer, got it fixed up for $50, and put it in my basement. There it sat for another month, as I tried to convince myself that I should at least ride it to the grocery store...but my brain always responded...milk is heavy, need basket! So about a month ago I bought a basket. I went to put it on, but brain said, but wait, I want to paint the bike first. So yesterday, in the middle of a super slow, warm, underplanned weekend, I finally pulled the bike out, masked up all the cables and such, and spray painted it silver, gold, and copper. Here are the gloriously silly results. Today, I rolled it down to the gas station, filled the tires back up, and started pedaling down the street, only to find myself in the midst of a gang of 7 year olds on bmxs. I felt like Pee Wee Herman on his dork-mobile! It was awesome. I went all the way to the food co-op, and back. Boy...nothing makes you feel out of shape like tackling hills with a three speed, after not biking for over a year! But I did it...I got the bike together, and went to the store before the summer was out...a small sounding goal, but a completed one none the less. Now I want to get a chain gard (my right calf was covered in grease), a rear view mirror, and a bell! It was super fun riding around, though I admit, I'm a bit scared of traffic.
Hope your holiday weekend was as relaxing and/or productive as mine!
