The Saga of the Bike

So last year, when I started riding bikes to work, I actually road a bike that I bought Dave for his birthday one year.  At the time, we had three bikes, Dave's, my mountain bike, and an old red hipster bike.  The old red hipster bike was an impulse buy at a garage sale in 2005 for about $10.  I didn't like ride it much, because the handlebars are very forward and very narrow.  And I always felt like I was on the verge of crashing into a pole.

That said, we bought the bike trailer and had it hooked up to the mountain bike (for Dave to tote Nico to school and home) when Dave's bike (re: my primary mode of transportation) was stolen.  It was shitty and I was annoyed.  And it forced me to reconsider old red hipster bike.  After a new seat and a tune up, and about a week riding around on it, I loved it.  The guys at the bike store were super cool about it- especially since they were like, "The manufacturer doesn't even exist anymore... and they made the size very weird".    Since its so anti cool, I was very aware of how hipster I was being riding the thing.  I didn't want to be one of those people wearing skinny jeans, a plaid shirt, and infinity scarf pour $$$ into this old bike.  The guys at my bike store got this.

Anyways... I got the bike tuned up in the fall and they said, that my tires were pretty far gone and that I should consider getting some new ones.  I was about 2 days away from putting Old Red up for the season, so I made note of their suggestion and went on with my life.  Well, when I got Old Red out for a ride, I ended up needing a new tube for the bike tire.  I got a friend to help me change it and she said, "You should get a new tire ASAP. Otherwise you're going to keep getting flats."  This was on a Wednesday.  I got a flat the next time I rode it, on Friday.

So, I took it to a ANOTHER bike shop and gave them the speel: "Its an old bike.  I've been told the wheels are not a standard size, so I'd like to know what to do about special ordering tires."  The guy who helped me (who liked like that dead-eyed mutt Todd on Breaking Bad) proceeded to pull tires down off the ceiling and attempt to put them on the bike.   Aaaaaand none of them fit. Even better?  To totally replace the wheels?  $100.  Dollars.  EACH.  Seriously?  That is almost half what I paid for my first car.

Much miscommunication ensued.  I finally got the bike back on Friday and have been anxious to get back to riding.  I rode to the gym on Saturday, which was cool.  Of course today's weather report would call for rain+gale force winds.  Of course it would.

 

Speaking of the gym, I have started the beginning olympic lifting class (OLY).  I'm not sure I will ever do it competitively.  I only started doing it because I felt like I could do CrossFit better if some of my technique was a scotch better.