Borrowed bike

If I ever was a bike snob, I cannot be told I am one now. I borrowed a bicycle from Judy, Kate’s mom. She offered it and when she opened her shed and presented it to me, I was speechless. It is a Schwinn bicycle made for females with the sloping top tube. I am pretty sure it weighs more than 50lbs with all the bag racks and fenders on it. It is hard to even push around. It has down tube shifters and hand breaks that are very rusty and hard to squeeze. The left hand break is so rusted that it is pretty much useless. The tires were flat when I retrieved it, but after pumping them up they seemed to hold the air. It has the most enormous seat on it plus a gel saddle cover. I think you could seat two racers on it comfortably. Best of all, it has a bell on it that rings with any vibrations meaning that it rings even when you pedal. However, it means I am free to move about the country since I don’t have a car so after looking at it lean against our shed for several days, I decided to take it for a spin to see if it even works.

When I hopped on the bike, it immediately felt like I was driving a bike version of a Lincoln Continental. The weight of the bike was obvious and the saddle made the need for bike shorts obsolete. It took me a few tries to remember the down tube shifting being that it was not indexed. However, the drive train was smooth and not squeaky and the bike gently rolled up the street. It was actually not too bad. The big, wide tires made riding over rough pavement seem smooth. The roads here are flat so I did not have to lug the bike over any hills. The gym is only a few miles away so no matter the weather conditions at least I won’t have to suffer them very long.

I was happy just be out of the house, away from the laundry and the kitchen. Yippee!!