My bike broke

I was trying to straighten out my rear wheel this morning on my way to work and I just could not straighten it out right, it would sit crooked in the frame rest. It got so bad that I just walked the rest of the way to work. I wasn't far, just outside the campus so I was still on time to work.

The other bicyclist here at work (see previous blogs) came out to help me set my rear tire straight and it was an EPIC FAIL. He was trying to set the rear hub into the cradle and parts came off in his hand.



That part circled in green is what broke off the frame. The rear wheel cannot even sit in the bike, that whole back area is totally frakked. I cannot roll it home or put it on the bus. My broken bike and I are hitching a ride with a friend who drives a truck.

My bike is a Raleigh Venture and I just got it in May 2008, it's not even 6 months old yet. According to Raleigh's website I have to get in touch with the dealer (the guy I bought the bike from) to see about getting it fixed before I contact them about my warranty.

I'm not even sure the guy I bought it from is a Raleigh dealer. He has so many different bikes there. Usually dealers deal in only one or two brands and stock their stores in only those, right?

But that's besides the point, the guy I bought it from is an ARSEHOLE (excuse my language but I have no other way to describe him). When I bought this bike I had already taken my old clunker bike to him a couple of times for repairs and he would refuse to allow me to watch him make repairs (I wanted to learn) and he CHARGED me to adjust my seat height (I was such a n00b). He even messed up my gears when he put the kickstand on the bike and it took me two months to figure out how to fix it (because I refused to take it back to him, because I knrw he would charge me).

When I took my bike to another shop for a free bike maintenance class we found that my tires were on backwards, the brakes were adjusted incorrectly, etc. When I left I felt I had a new bike, it rode better then when I bought it back in May.

And now I have to take my broken Baby back to this arsehole?!

I don't know what to do :( does anyone have advice for me?

(PS, I gave my old clunker bike away to a friend so I have no other bike now. I don't care that I have to take the bus to work and walk, I am extremely thankful that I can carpool with coworkers. I'm just REALLY sad that I cannot ride. I miss my bike already.)

"I don't cater to commuters...

my main business is the recreational cyclist."

Um, I got told this by two different bicycle shops. That they don't really have anything for the bicycle commuter because they sell recreational bicycles/accessories. They say they can still order stuff for me online though.

Why even bother when I can order items online myself? Ugh, so frustrating!

my new favorite webcomic

I saw this on Tiago's blog (bicyclendesire) and read every comic in an afternoon.

Funny thing my friend said to me...

I got a flat on my way to work today. I pulled to the side and was going to start fixing it when my friend/coworker saw me and stopped on his bike to help. We got the tube all patched up and we went to work.

I told my other friend about this, and about The Cyclists' Code. The Cyclists' Code: When you see another bicyclist trying to fix their bike, stop and help, pay it forward.

My friend compared us to Jedi's, he's a total Star Wars Geek, as am I (original trilogy only though). He says "Silly, you Jedi Cyclists are. Strong in the Bike you must be to defeat Darth SUV. mmm"

I LOL'd