Claudia: my bike
This is about my bike I bought back in August.
There is a very cool thing here called the used- bicycle-market that happens twice a month. It is surprisingly unsketchy. A bunch of people show up with bikes to sell, pay a small amount to show them, and other people come and buy. The prices were really reasonable, and there was a little repair shop set up, and well as accessories, etc. for sale. All the sellers were all really knowledgable and good to talk to.
I had bought what I though was the perfect bike. Claudia. Smooth silver beauty. Rode like a well-greased charm. And then I broke her.
I rode my bike home and decided to remove the kickstand in my basement where I stored my bike. How uncool is a kickstand? So I went to work. I was unscrewing something, when I heard and felt an awful SNAP! The derailer had painfully trapped my finger by some spring action. It hurt. I tried to pull it out. I couldn't get my finger free, nor could I reverse the spring action. Disaster scenarios started racing through my head; I sat there on the verge of tears wondering if I was going to have to wait for someone to come downstairs into the cellar and rescue me. That, or drag my bike up the stairs, with my finger attached. My finger was turning visibly blue. After what felt like 15 minutes, but was probably only two, some ouchy struggling loosened it and I could squeeze it out.
I had proved that I didn't know how to properly release the derailer. Unfortunately, after getting my finger out, I had no more success trying to get it back on. And now the gears no longer worked, and the stupid kickstand was still attached.
I got over it, hopped back on the bike and went back to the market in my easiest gear, the only one which was still working. The Koelner was happy to see me, since I'd left my cell phone there as security deposit during the test ride, and forgotten to pick it back up. I hadn't missed my cell phone at all, but was glad to have it. I lied and said the bike had made a funny noise on the way home. He kindly fixed it for, but looked a little puzzled at how it got in that condition. It didn't go back to perfect, but I didn't have the heart to complain, knowing I was responsible.
Well, the bike no longer rides like a charm; I have only very limited use of the middle ring. But at least I didn't starve to death in the basement, bound as if by ball and chain to my Claudia.
There is a very cool thing here called the used- bicycle-market that happens twice a month. It is surprisingly unsketchy. A bunch of people show up with bikes to sell, pay a small amount to show them, and other people come and buy. The prices were really reasonable, and there was a little repair shop set up, and well as accessories, etc. for sale. All the sellers were all really knowledgable and good to talk to.
I had bought what I though was the perfect bike. Claudia. Smooth silver beauty. Rode like a well-greased charm. And then I broke her.
I rode my bike home and decided to remove the kickstand in my basement where I stored my bike. How uncool is a kickstand? So I went to work. I was unscrewing something, when I heard and felt an awful SNAP! The derailer had painfully trapped my finger by some spring action. It hurt. I tried to pull it out. I couldn't get my finger free, nor could I reverse the spring action. Disaster scenarios started racing through my head; I sat there on the verge of tears wondering if I was going to have to wait for someone to come downstairs into the cellar and rescue me. That, or drag my bike up the stairs, with my finger attached. My finger was turning visibly blue. After what felt like 15 minutes, but was probably only two, some ouchy struggling loosened it and I could squeeze it out.
I had proved that I didn't know how to properly release the derailer. Unfortunately, after getting my finger out, I had no more success trying to get it back on. And now the gears no longer worked, and the stupid kickstand was still attached.
I got over it, hopped back on the bike and went back to the market in my easiest gear, the only one which was still working. The Koelner was happy to see me, since I'd left my cell phone there as security deposit during the test ride, and forgotten to pick it back up. I hadn't missed my cell phone at all, but was glad to have it. I lied and said the bike had made a funny noise on the way home. He kindly fixed it for, but looked a little puzzled at how it got in that condition. It didn't go back to perfect, but I didn't have the heart to complain, knowing I was responsible.
Well, the bike no longer rides like a charm; I have only very limited use of the middle ring. But at least I didn't starve to death in the basement, bound as if by ball and chain to my Claudia.
posted by Nina at 7:56 PM
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