An Upper Body Workout With a Bike

Another perfect day weather-wise and a new trail to explore. Today, we headed off for part of the local greenway system, which we have previously walked and know to be an easy trail. Our ride begins flawlessly and we are just zipping down the path. I decide to chance it with the gear system and to my astonishment and joy the Sears cooperates today and switches gears without a hitch. There a lovely warm breeze, the sun is out, the path is lightly shaded and I can't wait til we get down to the portion that passes the lake so I can snap some pictures. We slow down to pass some walkers and just as I get by my bike starts making a squealing noise and pedaling has become very difficult. I feel like I just shifted into 21st--except my bike has only 3 gears. Awesome.

So I hop of and begin looking it over, wanting to assess and fix quickly to get back on my way. Except, um, that's not going to happen. Because now my rear tire as become skewed somehow and is rubbing directly on the metal support. It's actually worn a smooth spot around the tire in the few seconds it took for me to realize something is wrong and hop off. So defeated I turn it around to head back to the truck. Oh, but wait. The wheel is actually not turning at all now. So I can either drag the bike along, or... pick it up. I can't tell you exactly how wonderful these is feeling right now. So I'm lifting the back end and wheeling the front end down the path. Then I alternate with actually carrying the bike. Humiliation and embarrassment don't even enter my mind as people pass staring.

Tire is rubbing on the bike frame itself and doesn't even turn at all at this point.

We had passed several access trails leading into neighborhoods and decide I should walk my bike up to one of those and wait for Llama to make her way back to the truck to come and get me. And bonus! The neighbor is sitting on top of an Everest-like "hill". So I can lug my "beloved" antique hunk of metal up the damn hill. Oh and of course the road I come out on doesn't actually connect to the road the truck is parked on. And I'm back who-the-hell-knows-where in this neighborhood. After asking 3 people for directions back to the road the truck is parked on, Llama finally goes off to get the truck via the bike path and come rescue me. My plan is to start walking out of the neighborhood so I can at least get to a road that connects to a main road. I finally give up lugging the damn bike and plunk it down by the road. I stand there smoking and thinking all sorts of unpleasant type things about my "great find" of a bike. Which is probably going to end up costing at least half the price of a brand new bike to get fixed. Which was clearly not the point of buying an old inexpensive bike. Not to mention my opportunity to have so much fun has been a little more than ruined. Yesterday I was the problem. Today it's the bike. So for now the grand adventures of a fat kid and her bike are paused. Maybe tomorrow the bike can go back to the shop and I can see hope much it will cost to fix it...again.

Oh but hey, there is a really cool positive side to the story. Usually bicyclists don't get enough upper body workouts. After lugging the bike a couple of miles today, I can definitely check that off my list until at least next week! Sweet!