The rain is fine all day and night
On days and nights when warm
I’ll ride and ride it just feels right
Especially in a storm
December though, without snow
The rain it bites with wind
Slicked wet brakes really blow
And through stoplight send
Puddled ponds of potholes
Flushed level with the street
Invisibly they’re taking tolls
My spine, they do mistreat
Finally get inside
With cheeks red, nose ran
It’s a little cold for a ride
But nice that I still can
I just went two days without riding a bike.
It’s terrible.
I have to take the *shudder* TTC or walk everywhere. Either way it takes way longer to get everywhere, which really only means it takes me longer to get to work - so I just get there late (like I’m going to wake up earlier).
I declared my bike unridable after getting back from that long Sunday ride because of the brake situation. I had to take it slower than my friends that day because my brakes weren’t stopping me as quickly and quietly as I’d like, and it only got worse.
The Odyssey (my Peugeot) has always made weird noises, it’s kind of endearing. When I slow down with my front brakes it sounds like Obi-Wan Kenobi powering down the tractor beam on the Death Star. When I used my rear brakes it was usually silent, but frequently sounded like those shadow creatures from Ghost. I could live with that.
Saturday night, I took a spill taking a 160degree turn too fast on wet leaves. Somehow I bruised my shin, but who cares about personal injuries when your bike could be broken!
People heal, bikes don’t.
I ran through the gears and pedaled around slowly, it was fine. Then I pulled the brakes – front and back sounded like out-of-tune trumpet playing dolphins being eaten by a barking leopard seal that is somehow eating and playing a kazoo at the same time. Oh, and that kazoo is made of pomeranian puppies punching each other in the face.
Also, it took me probably 10 metres to stop later on when I was heading fast down a hill. I like being alive just enough for that to be a problem with me.
With the narrowing hours of bike shops as the season winds down, I’ll have to wait until tomorrow evening to ride again.
I know it’s a little against the spirit of this blog to have somebody else work on my bike, especially this early on. I know it sets a bad precedent; the thing is though, that right now I’m missing some key things to do it myself. Important things like tools… and knowledge.
[I wrote this last night, so “today” is actually yesterday, and “tomorrow” is today, “next weekend” means this weekend, and “petit oiseau” means little bird.]
Today was quite possibly the last great, sunny, beautiful day to bike all over the city. We’re lucky enough this autumn to say that a lot.
The last few weekends I’ve been outside as much as possible, on my bike and otherwise, to take in the “last” perfect fall weekend before the sidewalks turn to ice, the streets to slush, and my steel bike to rust. After such a weak summer, it’s only fair to drag out fall for a little longer. But since this isn’t a first date, I’m going to stop talking about the weather.
It was gorgeous out (dammit). A couple of friends and I took our bikes down to the lakeshore and headed west all of the way to Humber Bay Park. It’s a great ride, takes you over some neat bridges, a playground with dinosaurs, and the only bicycle speed limit sign I’ve ever seen in my life. 20km/h near Sunnyside Park, we only paid about as much attention to the speed limit as the drivers next to us on Lake Shore blvd.
It was just good ol’ fashioned bike riding, riding for the sake of it. We weren’t heading anywhere and instead of our watches we were timing by the sun. It was a great way to spend he last beautiful weekend day. Maybe we should cycle every day like the season’s going to end tomorrow. Metaphor for how to live life?
No.
It’s a simile, stupid.
Here's my bike in a tree:
