I Wanna Play!

Everyone seems to be ridin' a bike lately.  LeeAnn is kickin' butt and takin' names with her new hobby. Carmen is just gettin' started, and Laughing Wolf is doing toolin' all over the place.

And it's GREAT exercise.  I know. I tried it before.  Well, I never really got to see the results, as the stories I am about to share demonstrate.  But I DO know it's a great way to get in shape.

See, when I was in college, I didn't really fit in with the girly girls.  Not on any level.  No....I ran around with the dudes.  The jocks.  And back in the early 80's biking was HUGE with those guys.  When it wasn't soccer or basketball season, there was nothin' like bike racing for conditioning.

Yes, I said bike racing.

Well, never one to be left out, I HAD to be a part of that.  So......I went bike shopping.  Since these guys were serious so *I* had to be serious.  Now, I've got me some long legs, and it wasn't as easy as you might think to find a lightweight, comfortable racing bike that fit me.  I settled on a Puch Pacifica.  Ouch. See, back in '81 that bad boy cost me $275.  NOT cheap by any stretch of the imagination.  But ohhhh was she purty.  Silver and black.  Tall.  Wow.  And rode like silk.

So, the day I picked her up I rode straight to class.  Chained her up just like I'd been taught and went inside.  2 hours later I came out to find her....gone.  Someone, at a Christian college, stole my beautiful new bike.

I was pissed.  I should have realized at that point it was actually a sign for me to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground.

So....I went and bought another one.  Just like the first except brown instead of silver.  This one I kept in my room unless I was goin' out with the guys.  This would be where I discovered how great bikes are for staying in shape.  You carry one of those suckers up and down 3 flights of stairs! I don't care how "light" they are, that's a workout!!!

But I was ridin'.  We'd head out to the country and just fly! It was amazing.  I started to get a bit more comfortable so I'd ride her to work.  It was only a few blocks and I could lock her up in the office while I worked the desk.  Saved on gas, kept me in shape and was a good stress reliever.  Perfect.

One night I worked the bar after my shift.  A lot of times I'd sling drinks until closing just for the tips.  I've never known a college student that didn't need a bit of cash in their pocket.  Plus, I had just spent over $500 on two bikes! I was desperate for some spending money!

Anyway - we had some townies that particular night.  Real assholes.  And I guess they didn't like the fact that I pointed their bad behavior out to them.  Yeah....I kinda pissed 'em off.

So, that morning (closing was 2:00am) I was going the back way back to campus.  It was a residential area, no street lights, but usually a pretty easy ride.  Usually.

These assholes were waiting for me.  About half way home I realized they were following me.  So I rode a bit faster.  There were no sidewalks, so I was sticking pretty close to the cars parked along the side.  Well, as the guys got closer I started to panic.  They pulled up beside me and one guy reached out the window to slap me on the ass and I swerved.  Into a huge crack in the road.  I hit it just right and flew right over the handle bars into a parked car.

I hit.  Hard.  Really hard. 

The bike also hit.  Hard.  REALLY hard.

As I lay on the side of the road, hearing the car tear off, I was afraid to get up.  I was pretty sure something somewhere was broken.

I was right.  The bike was totaled.  And I was in pretty bad shape.  Lucky for me there was a fire station at the end of the block.  As I limped along, pushin' the tangled wreckage that was my prized possession, I was really starting to rethink this "riding" stuff.

The EMTs checked me out and took me to the hospital.  A few stitches, some scrapes and scratches but luckily no broken bones.  The worst part, in my mind was my pride.  It had taken a real beating.

Now...remember the Puch was totaled.  So....you guessed it.  I bought another one.  I am nothing if not determined.

This one lasted the rest of that season and through the winter.  Yes...I rode in the winter.  Without incident as a matter of fact.  I was gettin' good.

The next spring I decided to ride from college to Mama's house.  About 65 miles.  The ride there went perfectly.  No problems at all.  Until I decided to ride down by the river downtown.  At that time there were no bike paths.  So, again I'm riding along the side of the road.  A really REALLY busy road.  I guess I should also mention that folks weren't really feeling the love towards bikers in that area.  In fact they did a great job of crowding you, trying to scare you off the road.

Yeah....that worked for me.  Not.  Well, until one car got just a bit too close.  And pushed me into, you guessed it, a parked car.

Another bike totaled.  Another trip to the ER. 

That would be the last time I got on a bike.  I may be a bit slow, but I do eventually catch on.  Usually.

So.....while I'm reading about y'all riding your bikes, enjoying this wonderful summer weather, getting in shape, I'd love to join you.  But I'm thinkin' it wouldn't really be that good of an idea.

Well, except.....I DID do pretty good on those country roads........ 

Comments

[pam]

OMG! I'd never get on another bike again - ever - if that series of unfortunate events had happened to me!

But you're better than I am...! :D

Inspired by Lee Ann, my bike has made it into the house, then in the house next to the front door. But the tires are still flat. LOL!

[bx19]

I have a bike, which I use now and then....more then than now....It's great exercise, and where I live I don't have to ride in traffic.

I promise to make a lot more use of it.