So what better way of spending an evening than going for a bike ride. Strangely no one else wants to go, Mrs BW preferring her exercise class at the local swimming pool, and the fledglings……yeah okay stupid question. So I go on my own. Its a perfect evening. The sun is shinning, its warm but not oppressive, I feel relaxed and in a good mood. The bike has rested in the garage since the recent epic cycle ride and needs to be taken out. I pump up the tyres and set off.
Some kids kicking a ball about snigger as I pass. They laugh at my cycling helmet. I ignore them. Down past the golf club past the nineteenth hole where a few early drinkers raise a glass as I whizz by. This is good.
I decide to put a bit of effort into it and change gear. There is a grating noise. There shouldn’t be a grating noise. I look down. The chain has come off, in fact worse it has snapped. The sun goes in. Something black and growling is sitting on my shoulder.
I lay the bike tenderly on the grass verge and fiddle pitifully with the snapped chain. I will have to walk back. I try to think of a bright side. I can’t other than the fact that I could be further from home than I am, but I don’t really call that a bright side.
I should have listened to the man in the bicycle repair shop who when I asked him if he could give my bike the once over before I did my sponsored ride, said that he could, but he would feel less guilty stealing sweets from children. It was knackered and not worth spending any money on. Of course I didn’t listen to him. But I did do the sponsored ride, so I guess the bright side is that the chain could have gone on the Cat and Fiddle.
Maybe its time for a new bike, after all its been fourteen years since my last one.
Oh no! How far did you have to walk? Like you said, at least it didn’t happen on the Cat & Fiddle.
It stopped raining here too!Then started again…
Fiwa – Not that far! Walking back past the bar with all the smug drinkers sitting outside was the worst bit.Kim – at least we have not had flooding.