Cherry Red Bicycle

I found myself a bicycle via the St. George online yard sale page on facebook for $25 (?!?!). The gears were pretty darn sticky, and it needed oil, but I said why the heck not?! This was the first bike I have ever bought. It was a big deal. And it proved to be the best idea I ever had, because staying in one spot is simply an unsatisfying lifestyle for me. When I first arrived here at the lodge, I was hosting for 5 hours and then had the whole rest of the day to do whatever. My greatest pleasure in being here has been to ride up and down the canyon.  

Yup, that's my bike. It opened so many doors for me. And it was so much more enjoyable when I got the chain oiled, which magically fixed the gears too! 

After a few monsoonal exposures, the back tire started to swell in one spot, and it could not be ignored. So I first bought a new tube, after fishing for assistance from an attractive man, put the tube on the bike. But turns out, the tube wasn't the issue, it really was the tire. So said attractive boy bought me a new tire! Attractive boy is awesome! He really knows the way to my heart :)

So one day I ride my bike, as usual, and put it away outside, as usual, then the next morning. I am about to mount my bike (to eliminate 2 minutes otherwise spent if walking), unlike usual, the tire was flat. The FRONT tire. Only days after repairing the back tire. So I get a new tube, and start the process all over again. 

Next week: Goat head thorn in back tire. Resulting in a slow leak.

This time, I was NOT about to buy a new tube. A month later I acquired a repair kit. 

So I painstaking ran the tube under water to find the minuscule puncture that lead to the detriment of my tire. Now that my bike is all fixed, I started riding it to work again. Except I realized that the tension on the back brakes is way higher than it needs to be. I need new brake pads. 

I ride my bike to work anyways. This was a day I worked dinner, meaning I don't leave the restaurant until long after sundown, and there was no moon tonight. 

Before leaving, I HAD to get an ice cream cone from the dining room. And I HAD to leave right away to get some sleep before coming back the next morning. 

I am a natural at balancing ice cream with bike. 

Until..... I hit the rock surrounding an island in the parking lot.

(source: Women Who Cycle)

And that is exactly what I looked like. I only hit my knees, and scuffed my hands, but my handle bars are all chewed up. I have no idea what happened. The worst part was loosing my ice cream cone. 

I returned to the scene of the crime the next day and found no evidence of my cone.... what happened?!

The gears are all whack again, so I haven't really ridden it since.

Also, this man is an inspiration.

 http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/06/biker-protests-by-crashing-his-bike/