THE GIFT OF A MOUNTAIN BIKE...RIDING AGAIN
I feel so blessed to have such kind friends here in Barrow...am back on two wheels thanks to an offer I couldn't turn down...
I wrote about loving to ride the bike I purchased last April in a previous post and in another about it not surviving the summer mud here. The ball bearings in the crank case succumbed to the infiltration of water and mud and revolted in September, ending our several months of daily outings.
I was truly touched when several friends offered me their bikes or the use of them until I could replace mine. Not wanting to destroy theirs along with mine, I made peace with walking again. I'd just gotten used to being on foot when a friend insisted that since I love to ride and she really didn't use her bike on a regular basis, that it was mine if I would just come to pick it up. It was on her porch under six inches of snow and I couldn't see letting it rust when we could be having some fun together.
The gifted bike is from REI and in looking at the crank case, it looks sealed where the other one wasn't, so it just might make it through summer as well as winter. So far, I've been able to ride it to work and back and on tours around the area. It handles well on ice and very well on hard packed snow. Yesterday morning, Barrow woke to about four inches of fresh and beautiful snow and winds that caused it to drift in quite a few places. It was the first morning that I had difficulty making my way as without snow tires, it doesn't have enough traction to navigate through the drifts. I saved the rims and snow tires from my former bike, so have it on my list to put them on this one this weekend.
I wrote about loving to ride the bike I purchased last April in a previous post and in another about it not surviving the summer mud here. The ball bearings in the crank case succumbed to the infiltration of water and mud and revolted in September, ending our several months of daily outings.
I was truly touched when several friends offered me their bikes or the use of them until I could replace mine. Not wanting to destroy theirs along with mine, I made peace with walking again. I'd just gotten used to being on foot when a friend insisted that since I love to ride and she really didn't use her bike on a regular basis, that it was mine if I would just come to pick it up. It was on her porch under six inches of snow and I couldn't see letting it rust when we could be having some fun together.
The gifted bike is from REI and in looking at the crank case, it looks sealed where the other one wasn't, so it just might make it through summer as well as winter. So far, I've been able to ride it to work and back and on tours around the area. It handles well on ice and very well on hard packed snow. Yesterday morning, Barrow woke to about four inches of fresh and beautiful snow and winds that caused it to drift in quite a few places. It was the first morning that I had difficulty making my way as without snow tires, it doesn't have enough traction to navigate through the drifts. I saved the rims and snow tires from my former bike, so have it on my list to put them on this one this weekend.
Ah...my new bike...
Parked outside the grocery store
Leaving for work - good conditions for riding today...
This was taken around 7:30 am...a beautiful start to the day...
We're fortunate that a woman comes up from Anchorage every few months to give hair cuts...am parked outside her salon on a Saturday morning = )
what a fine REI bike you have! It surprises me that it has to be locked up.
ReplyDeleteI thought about not locking it, but would regret if it happened to be pedaled off by someone who has different beliefs about personal possessions...just guaranteeing my ride = ) I keep it in my apartment when I'm not using it.
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