Sans Wheels

Historic Germany.

I've hung up the key on the bicycle. The problems on that bike make those NEXT Wal-Mart bicycles look like Rolex watches by comparison. I can put up with some difficult stuff, but it's gone too far this time. As I was riding to the Friday night Stammtisch the left pedal started feeling wobbly. I stopped to take a look at it and it turned out that the bolt holding the pedal arm had come loose. I rode onto my destination, but I had to stop to screw the bolt back in every quarter mile or less. This is serious business. If left unchecked, the entire pedal arm could fall off, and since I ride on roads with cars, I decided that this kind of calamity had to be avoided at all costs. 

Today I decided to fix it as much as possible. I spent about two hours adjusting the brakes, dealing with the splash guards that were rubbing up against the tire, adjusting the gears such that I had a 3rd gear (out of 21, that is, only 2 worked before), and of course permanently tightening the bolt on the pedal arm. I was proud of myself. I had taken care of all the bike's deficiencies that made it uncomfortable to ride. To celebrate I hopped on it to go to the soccer cage by my work. 

Lego giraffes don't care if
you pull their tails.

I successfully switched into my 3rd gear (the big one that makes a big difference) exactly one time. The next time I tried it made these clicking noises as the chain inched toward the change position, telling me that it only lacked a small fraction of an inch to actually change, but then never did so. I tested this multiple times, but then gave up, deciding that could continue to live without a 3rd gear. Many people only have one. I should count myself lucky. But then the pedal arm started wobbling again. This is after I had tightened it with a pair of wrenches. It seems impossible how quickly the bolt comes loose. It might as well not have any threads at all. I'd probably be better off plugging it up with a piece of cork. I took the train home, riding the bike only to the station and then to the house from the station. As a final insult, the bike's brakes started rubbing against the tire while in the neutral position again.

This makes me particularly sad because I know I won't be able to ride a bike in Istanbul because of the insane traffic. Oh well. I guess it is better to have rode and lost than to have never ridden at all.