#97. Like riding a bicycle
(It’s hotttttt outside, so this is the best picture you’re going to get of the bike. I’m not willing to go back out there.)
Yesterday, I headed up to Atomic Cycles in Van Nuys, to drop off my old roommate’s bike for a tune-up. (With the weather we’ve been having, I don’t know what I was thinking, because it had to have been around 110 or 115 degrees in the Valley yesterday.) After a lengthy discussion with the guy in the shop (the owner?), we came to the conclusion that I could spend $70-80 to fix up the bike - with no guarantees that I’d even be comfortable on it - or I could consider buying a different bike.
In the end, I left him my old roommate’s bike, and he gave me a great deal ($60!) on a fixed-up used Huffy cruiser, which will be much more comfortable than the mountain bike for running errands.
And the bicycle riding? I got some great pointers from the guy at the shop, who told me that it’s all about momentum. Just keep on pedaling, because if you chicken out, you’ll lose your balance. After a few false starts, I was biking around the parking lot like a… well, like a kid who just mastered bike riding for the first time. I think I’ll practice a bit more before I hit the neighborhood streets.
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[...] In the midst of all of the heat we’ve been having and a migraine that won’t go away, I did do some cool stuff this weekend. In addition to the bike riding, I spent most of Saturday at Jim Henson studios with Kolby, to see a taping of an upcoming TV pilot - Late Night Buffet with Augie & Del - featuring all new Muppet characters. We had to stand outside (!) for over 2 hours to get in, but it was definitely worth the wait. A Hal Sparks sighting added to the fun, too. [...]
By Daily Guilt » Late Night Buffet on 07.23.06 5:39 pm
What a neat bike! That’s so cool.
By Jill on 07.23.06 10:04 pm
When I jumped back into cycling last September I was a little wobbly but overall I got around just fine. As time went by and I kept up my cycling commute and I got better and better. Eventually my boss suggested I might be ready to try clips on my pedals.
I imagined loops on the pedals to slip my feet into, never realizing that those went out of style probably before I was born.
I went into the bike shop, talked to the guy there about getting clipped pedals and got myself set up with pedals and new bicycling shoes. The time after that involved a considerable amount of falling over and scuffing my elbows and knees while glued to my bike.
I’ve been biking clipped now for a while and I wouldn’t go back to plain pedals but it took a bit of determination to get there. Now my next step is to upgrade my bike so I can finally break my top speed on a flat road
By James Cooper on 07.24.06 9:10 am
Good for you!
And on a very kickass bike to boot.
By Peter DeWolf on 07.24.06 4:55 pm
Clipped pedals sound scary. I think I’ll stick with my easy bike for now. It’s so simple, you actually brake by pedaling backwards (like my first bike as a kid).
It is cool looking, though, isn’t it?
By Melanie on 07.24.06 5:55 pm
oh, i looooove your bike! it’s gorgeous.
By eroica on 10.12.06 1:22 am
HEY YEAH WELL I WOULD SAY THIS SITE IS OKAY BUT U GOTTA PUT SOME COOLER PIX UP!
By PAIGE on 05.08.07 10:57 am
Give me an old cool bicycle, and I’ll ride around the city for days.
By Retro Bicycles on 10.23.07 1:49 pm
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