the ride that never really happened.

The disclaimer in my blog is typically implied by the fact that I obviously get to a computer to blog about my bicycling-commuting exploits. A truly tragic loss occurred last nite (suffered directly by a co-worker) and unless I ever go through the pain he and his family have, I will not even attempt to comprehend what they've experienced. Maybe when I have a child, I'll have a glimpse of it, and hopefully never go through it first-hand. All I can say is how truly sorry I am for their loss. Beyond that .... [ ]



My ride this morning never really happened. I dreamed that the rear wheel would be flat. I don't know how or why I dreamed that -- but I tend to dream these self-fulfilling prophecies about car and bike tires (Syracuse, anyone?) but I ignored it as I didn't remember it until I got up to Penn. I ran over something last nite on the way home to the house and I heard a snap but that was on the front wheel. My ride to the train was fine. The only giveaway I can conjure is the way it sat evenly on the train in front of me as I was on the single pull-down seat. But that's not that obvious, b/c you can change the height of the bike seat. But for the first time ever my handheld bike pump worked and I convinced myself that I could ride it as far as I could several times on the way west and south and lose 10 minutes at most. Why should I concede defeat and take the subway right then and there?

So I deluded myself and gave in to my Darwinian instincts and then wanted to gnaw at my own flesh when I realized, upon crossing the Highway and making it all of 5 blocks, that it wouldn't work. The tire was shot.

I proceeded to walk it back to 23rd and took the 1 downtown. The station/stop itself is exactly the thing I aim to avoid on a daily basis. Smelled like someone gave a first-class, scalding shower to a dead turtle and used vomit to custom-coat its shell.

There's a bike shop closer to the office that I'll have to visit during lunch. This doesn't count as a ride, per se, as I didn't ride very far at all (Lt. Dan could've made it to Wall Street quicker than I could've) and I spent the dough on the subway. I just want a new, slightly better bike at this point. One that can withstand more of a beating. I'll spend a few hundred just to avoid all this.

At least COC is opening for Danzig in a week.

Thank you for reading.