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pardes
08-21-2008, 06:30 PM
A record day of 12 miles.

What to do with a bike on a lunch hour?

How long has it been since you've reclined on a luscious lawn of grass without havng to park the car, find a spot, and then fidgeted because you are "supposed" to be doing something else.

On a bike, this is a snap. Put a foot down, stop, and collapse in a bed of Kentucky bluegrass, closely-clipped but not so close that you can't run your fingers through it and ponder how wonderful nature is.


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t7/threedogwrite/grass.jpg

Have you ever noticed that some blades of grass are blue?????


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t7/threedogwrite/grass-closeup.jpg

Or pondered the stately, albeit degenerate nature of another relic like yourself?


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t7/threedogwrite/rusty-locomotive.jpg

Or eavesdropped on a conversation between the aspargus and the rhubarb at the Riverfront Farmer's Market?


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t7/threedogwrite/asparagus.jpg


"Hey Rhubarb! Get a load of that tomato that just walked by!"

Back at work you convince your princely manager that it's a dire emergency that you have your gearing upgraded that afternoon and you need to take a few hours of vacation. Being a Prince with the wisdom of Solomon, your manager recognizes the earth-shattering need for this emergency vacation leave.

A bus/bike ride to the LBS, and you want to ring your hands to see Trekkie exposed in such a proctological position before surgery. Howard, the bike mechanic sterlizes his hands with a greasy rag and tells you to come back in two hours.


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t7/threedogwrite/Howard--bike-1.jpg

There's not much to do in downtown Newark, Delaware for two hours. You can watch the paint peel....


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t7/threedogwrite/peeling-paint.jpg

You can find faces in the wood of derelict buildings being rennovated....


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t7/threedogwrite/wood-face.jpg

You can shop for items that won't fit in your bicycle saddlebags even if you could afford it...


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t7/threedogwrite/DSCN0608.jpg

You can stop in an antique store and ponder that fact that while others were doing drugs and rock and roll you were campaigning for Nixon. And then you can ponder that drugs might have been a wiser choice.


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t7/threedogwrite/DSCN0598.jpg

You can meet a little girl with her new puppy Riley (all 6 inches and 2 pounds of him).


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t7/threedogwrite/girl--puppy-Riley.jpg

And then you go back to the bike store to gather your reamed and gleamed new gearing system. So Howard sends you out on a test ride and in your exuberance you sail down a road, shifting all the way through the 27 gears and ummmmm.....well accidentally you end up on both large rings and suddenly the gears grind to a stop and you've broken the bike and have to walk it back to the bike store in anticipation of three men who will find the whole thing very amusing.


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t7/threedogwrite/Howard--bike-2.jpg


"Good God, Howard! She did what? And you said with her panniers loaded she'd never make it to the third ring and get in trouble."

So Howard reamed things out again and loosened up the chain so "Rocket Lady, won't get in any more trouble."

Two trips around the Hall Rail to Trail and I went home and collapsed.
TxDoc
08-21-2008, 06:33 PM
Amazing ride report - and wonderful pictures. Thank you for sharing the story and photos!
Blueberry
08-21-2008, 06:37 PM
I LOVE your ride reports and pictures. Please keep posting them:)

CA
Aggie_Ama
08-21-2008, 07:33 PM
Thanks for the laugh, it has been a long day.
badgercat
08-21-2008, 07:40 PM
Your posts are a joy to read. That early little snag aside, I hope you're loving your new gearing!
Grog
08-21-2008, 08:32 PM
I secretly hope you never start riding faster, I love the photos and the stories about peeling paint. :)
OakLeaf
08-22-2008, 03:01 AM
I secretly hope you never start riding faster, I love the photos and the stories about peeling paint. :)

+1 What a rare addition you are to our little community!
Becky
08-22-2008, 03:08 AM
"Rocket Lady!" I love it! I think that's going to stick :D

As always, great pictures! (As an aside, someone has to explain to me how you get more than 5 pics in a post. I tried to post my commute and it cut me off after 5.)
lph
08-22-2008, 03:16 AM
You tell a really great story, pardes :)
Aggie_Ama
08-22-2008, 03:55 AM
"Rocket Lady!" I love it! I think that's going to stick :D

As always, great pictures! (As an aside, someone has to explain to me how you get more than 5 pics in a post. I tried to post my commute and it cut me off after 5.)

You have to use photobucket or something similar.
Becky
08-22-2008, 04:04 AM
You have to use photobucket or something similar.

Duh! I can't believe that I didn't think of that! :o Thanks!
Serendipity
08-22-2008, 04:34 AM
Pardes, what a fabulous travelogue!
Love the photos - a great reminder to slow down and enjoy the journey.
Thanks
Iris616
08-22-2008, 05:05 AM
"You can stop in an antique store and ponder that fact that while others were doing drugs and rock and roll you were campaigning for Nixon. And then you can ponder that drugs might have been a wiser choice."

This made me laugh hardest of all:D Thanks!
Pax
08-22-2008, 05:21 AM
"You can stop in an antique store and ponder that fact that while others were doing drugs and rock and roll you were campaigning for Nixon. And then you can ponder that drugs might have been a wiser choice."

This made me laugh hardest of all:D Thanks!
Same here! :D
cosc
08-22-2008, 05:35 AM
Pardes, thanks for reminding me that ever day can be a wonderful adventure.
Wonderful pictures!
danadear
08-22-2008, 05:56 AM
I so enjoy reading your posts. If you aren't already you should really consider being a writer. You have great imagination and a knack for seeing things that most of us miss. I love the face in the woodwork photo!
mimitabby
08-22-2008, 06:00 AM
Pardes, did you get my email?

What a wonderful story! don't worry; you will get better with your gears. there's a learning curve. And now your bike is like a new one!

great photos!
pardes
08-22-2008, 06:26 AM
Pardes, did you get my email?

What a wonderful story! don't worry; you will get better with your gears. there's a learning curve. And now your bike is like a new one!

great photos!

Mimi--no I didn't get your email. It may have been wedged in between the million notices of new postings on TE. I'll check again tonight to see if I can find it.

To everyone: Thanks for your comments. It is a hoot to write these things and even better to see that you like them.
indigoiis
08-22-2008, 07:24 AM
You know, it's funny - these things that we see on our commutes, I think we take them for granted. I was telling a co-worker, "Yeah, I'm glad I took the off-the-beaten track route home, even though it's a few miles further. I saw a waterfall I didn't know was there." and she exclaimed, "a WATERFALL? In Rhode Island???"

Yes Virginia, there really are waterfalls in Rhode Island! :D
rij73
08-22-2008, 07:25 AM
You're the best! I feel like the woman at the bus stop from one of your prior posts. I wish my mom were more like you, and I wish she would get on a bike! :p

It's great that the shop gave you triple gearing. That's going to help you a lot... So, what did you settle on? What are the chainring sizes and the cassette range?
maillotpois
08-22-2008, 08:47 AM
That was excellent! Thanks!
malkin
08-22-2008, 10:22 AM
The RMN photo juxtaposed with the "GOODNUFF Peanut Bars" is what got me.
:D
amy
08-22-2008, 10:26 AM
A joy to read!!! :)
Crankin
08-22-2008, 11:24 AM
Pardes, I voted for Nixon the first time I voted, DESPITE the fact I was well versed in drugs, protests, and rock n roll...
I can't imagine what was wrong with me. Maybe it was a protest?
Rosie8
08-23-2008, 04:51 AM
Beautiful pictures with a whacky sense of humor. What kind of camera do you use for your pics?
pardes
08-23-2008, 06:52 AM
Rosie, I collect Nikon cameras like some here collect bikes. However, the one that works best on the bike (compact, good megapixel count, and vibration resistant) is my tiny Nikon Coolpix L5. When my monster Nikon was in for repairs I bought the L5 to fill in and find I now use it more often than the big Nikons that require so much paraphenalia to go with it. It has a nice wide angle to telephoto range and very good closeup capabilities.
pardes
08-23-2008, 07:09 AM
You're the best! I feel like the woman at the bus stop from one of your prior posts. I wish my mom were more like you, and I wish she would get on a bike! :p

It's great that the shop gave you triple gearing. That's going to help you a lot... So, what did you settle on? What are the chainring sizes and the cassette range?

What a DIFFERENCE the new gearing makes! I'm in heaven and can now vanquish rising terrain without passing out.

Old setup was for the Trek 7.6 FX, 700 X 32 / 32-622 tire with 170 mm cranks:

compact double crankset 36/50
12-13-14-15-17-19-21-23-26 Cassette
New setup is:

triple front crankset 34/39/50
With 13-15-17-19-21-23-26-30-34 Cassette
Tri Girl
08-23-2008, 09:17 AM
Pardes (I always want to type "padres"), you tell one heck of a good story. Made me smile and laugh and ooh and ah (the puppy part anyway). I LOVED it!!! Keep them coming.
As each year goes by, I'm starting to realize that speed isn't as fun as it used to be. I rather like mosey-ing along and enjoying the scenery and what is around me. I just wish I could tell a story like you!
Trek420
08-23-2008, 09:34 AM
Pardes, I voted for Nixon the first time I voted, DESPITE the fact I was well versed in drugs, protests, and rock n roll...
I can't imagine what was wrong with me. Maybe it was a protest?

Maybe it was the drugs? :rolleyes: I forget, who ran against Nixon?
pardes
08-23-2008, 09:48 AM
Dear God, I campaigned for that election and I can't even remember. I was far too busy being totally smitten and madly in love with my first and greatest love of a tall, cool, exceedingly delectable college fencer.

So I campaigned for Nixon with him, learned to fence with him (literally and figuratively) and ultimately both of us went to the Olympic tryouts in NYC where I was soundly trounced out of my delusions of being the Southeastern Women's Fencing Champion.

Ahhhhh, the memories. I recently received an email from him and I must say that we are both still wistful of those days.

He can still fit into his college fencing knickers......while I on the other hand have "matured" rather profoundly.

I'd post a recent photo of him in all his well-maintained grandeur but then I'd have to, in all fairness, post a recent photo of me, and well......I'd prefer to remember us as we were then. So call me shallow.
OakLeaf
08-23-2008, 10:38 AM
It was Hubert Humphrey. I was the only kid in my third grade class whose parents planned to vote for him ;)
emily_in_nc
08-23-2008, 11:34 AM
It was Hubert Humphrey. I was the only kid in my third grade class whose parents planned to vote for him ;)

Yep, me too (not same grade but same parents...) :D
Crankin
08-23-2008, 12:26 PM
Didn't Humphrey run against Nixon in 1968? I voted for him in 1972, about a month before my 19th birthday. Ah... I can't remember, either. Was it McGovern?
I must have been brainwashed from living in S. Florida for a few years by that time (no offense to any Floridians). Or maybe the fact that my parents had been "Rockefeller Republicans" when I was growing up here in MA. They quickly changed after moving to AZ and then to CA.
I love Delaware, Pardes. We spent a night in New Castle a couple of years ago, on the way home from Hilton Head. It was so historic, the B and B was awesome, and they had a CYCLING museum!
emily_in_nc
08-23-2008, 01:41 PM
Didn't Humphrey run against Nixon in 1968? I voted for him in 1972, about a month before my 19th birthday. Ah... I can't remember, either. Was it McGovern?

I think you're right, Crankin -- Humphrey in '68, McGovern in '72 is what I think I remember. Of course, I was but a little tyke back then, but my folks were strong Democrats so I heard a lot about politics growing up! Watching the Democratic Convention was a big highlight in our family home. :D