1 post tagged “biking”

Well, I'm in the market for a new bike.

My bike has always been pretty stiff, it has always been a bit difficult to steer, and the brakes have always been real bad, but now the whole thing is practically unrideable. I don't know what the deal is, but turning the pedals takes serious effort even on level ground, and climbing any sort of significant incline is pretty much physically impossible.
This problem seemed to spring up after I got it to Pasadena, but I'd thought it was just that the wheels were low. So today I took it over to the bike shop (I had to walk it the whole 3.5 miles because by then the back tire was completely flat) and got the tires all fixed up. But then I went to ride it home and, shit o lord, it wasn't the slightest bit easier to move the thing. I still had to fight it like crazy and I actually just about fell over trying to ride through an intersection. It was like pedaling through tar. I dismounted and walked it home again.

The guys at the shop told me that unless I'm working on developing freakishly huge Incredible Hulk-esque leg muscles, I ought to have the whole braking system replaced. They let me ride around a few new city/beach-cruiser-ish bikes and I was Blown Away by how much easier to ride they were than mine. Pedaling, steering, riding in a straight line. All 1000000000x easier. And the brakes! I could actually stop when I wanted to! Amazing! I had no clue how stiff my bike really was until I got on one of those. And here I'd been thinking I was just pathetically out of shape or something. It's like a whole new world has opened up before my eyes.

So, I need a new bike. I am sad about it. My bike has served me well this past year. I rode it around all last Summer and loved it like a child. Thomas gave it to me. I like that bike.

But it just isn't doing its job anymore. And after almost wiping out in the middle of an intersection and being bashed in the shins repeatedly by its pedals during our 7-mile walk today, I've lost most of the affection I once had for it. It is time for it to go.