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

Do I make men feel less macho when I pass them on my bike?

I've noticed this before but haven't written about it, it's now happened so much that I need to include it in this blog. Whenever I'm on my bike and I ride past a male cyclist, most of the time, I notice that the dude looks at me, sees how fast I am going and then speeds up to try to pass me. They don't say anthing to me, but they don't have to say anything to me, their actions speak louder than their words.

About me, I'm not really a fast rider, my regular speeds can go from 9 to 14 miles an hour. I may be a die hard bicycle commuter now, but I rather enjoy riding slow, lolly-gagging if you will. Sure, my main goal is to get from point A to point B, but I will make my time on the bike count. It's a wonderful stress reliever and works me out (EcoVelo even blogged about this "slower ride + heavier bike = better workout").

But no matter how slow or fast I go, I always run into a pleasure rider who tries to outrun me. As if they feel less macho, because I passed them on my bike. Me? With my heavy body and heavy bicycle? puh-lease! LMAO, it even happens when I'm biking in a dress and heals.

It feels kind of nice just flying past these dudes and see them startled when they realize that they've been passed by a girl, then see them pick up their pace suddenly and try to pass me by as if they were trying to make themselves feel more manly and bad-ass. Jeeze.

I'm onto you guys...

srsly, some peeps are just stuck on stupid

see more pwn and owned pictures

They get an A for Effort but not for execution...

Yeah, so I got a flat last night...

I got off the bike and and found a thorn in my front tire. Took the thorn out and immediately heard the unmistakable sound of air escaping.

I would have stopped and just patched up the hole right then and there but remembered it was nighttime (hard to see the hole) and I was in a bad neighborhood. So I just decided to walk the two miles home. It wasn't bad.

I got home, felt up my tire, found nothing out of the ordinary. This was the second time fixing a flat and it was much easier this time 'round. I remember getting my tire off and on the rim the last time and how I messed up my cuticles and I was stoked that I had tire jacks (for serious, I'm such a n00b). Replacing my tube was a breeze. Finally got to use my new tire pump, now my tire is nearly rock hard full of air.

I even adjusted my brakes, because one side was rubbing up against the rim. I am so happy for taking that bicycle repair class, the knowledge has already been put to great use.

must be a slow weekend in the news

because this story is finally becoming national news, posted on the CNN website.



Pretty dissapointing seeing as how the incident happened nearly a month and a half ago.

Bicycle Repair Class

I attended a free bicycle repair class last night. It was teh awesome. I learned so much. My suggestion is shop around. There are some mom and pop shops out there who will teach you all you need to know about your bike. And they are not in it to make a buck, but do it for the love of the bike.

Besides, I found out there were so many things wrong with my bike, seeing as how the guy I bought it from put it together wrong (tire was on backwards, breaks were mal-adjusted, etc.). There are so many things that I can list why I will not return to the shop where i bought my Raliegh from, but let's just say the guy charged me $10 to "fix" my seat post on my old junker bike. I found out after at the Bike Instead of Work Event I attended that I was ripped off. Chris from Hollywood Pro Bicycles, who was giving free bike tune ups at the event showed me how to adjust my own bike seat. It was so freaking easy I was embarrassed. Yeah, you live, you learn.

My instructor last night did a complete overhaul, taught me a lot and didn't charge me a dime. I am loyal to that bikeshop now. If you're in the area, visit Boulevard Cycles in Sherman Oaks and see Craig, he's an older man, tell him Paula sent you, the chick with the Red Raleigh who's tire was on backwards.

It was also a great way to take my mind of a break up that happened earlier in the day.

I almost got hit tonight

Yeah sure, it happens.
But what upsets me so much about it this time was this was on the bike path. Not a bike lane, but a bike PATH, well away from the street. The very same bike path I ride every night. It was dark but I was wearing a bright blue t-shirt and my white head light and red tail lights were bright and blinking. I dp my best to be visible because most of the riding I do is at night.

The guy I guess thought he saw a driveway, when there was NONE, and pulled in real fast to make a U Turn without seeing me. Thank goodness my brakes are in good working order or else i would have been creamed. He saw me at the last minute and stopped IN THE BIKE PATH when I hit my brakes, then saw that I was breaking and started to go, then stop, then go, waiting for me to get out of his way. Like I had the audacity to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Now I have been trying to cut back on my road rage as I don't want to flip off or scream at one driver then have that driver take out his/her anger on the next cyclist he/she sees. But I cussed a blue streak at this guy. Sure it was nighttime but dammit, you don't pull into a bike path to try to make a U Turn.

Note: the bike path is alongside a very wide street. The street itself is wide enough to allow a U Turn. Trust me, I used to drive an SUV and made many a U Turn in this area.

ugh...