NewBike Gets Accessories, Chooses Name
Today I took NewBike into the city, to the bike shop, to buy and have installed a bike computer and a rear-view mirror. Over lunch with a friend, when that had been done, I mentioned that NewBike had refused all the names I'd wafted past her (kind of wanted to use a character from one of the books, and that she had offered one I had no real desire for, "Glory", and really wanted the name I'd given the man's mountain bike, "Grace-the-Assassin," only without "the assassin" part. Then I drove home, while the bike mumbled at me from the back of the minivan and I talked back (writers are all crazy, OK? I talk to horses, dogs, pianos, people, tools, cars, trucks, trees, and now, bicycles.) I pointed out that NewBike hasn't tried to kill me, and therefore should not be named for Grace in that book, and NewBike pointed out that she is rehabbing an old woman and dragging her into adventure again, and therefore should be named for Grace in that book, and we can leave the assassin part out.
So I got home and grabbed my helmet and gloves and got on NewBike/Grace II, and rode down the street to see how the mirror worked for me. Great. On the way back to our end of the street, a car turned onto the street and was coming up behind me and I could see it--in time to move over and stop, and then wave at the driver who waved at me. Very small town, very narrow streets with crumbling edges, and people who park on the verge. Not a bike-riding community. Rode back home after that, and was not even out of breath after (a glance at the distance-ridden) 0.91 mile. Two weeks ago, that same ride had me out of breath. Thirsty, though--I hadn't stopped to get a drink before trying out the mirror. A little later, went back out and took a ride on the land, using the bike computer's distance function to find out how long the 'short loop' is...0.48 miles if I ride into the back yard.
Earlier this week I rode a trail on the place I hadn't ridden with this bike (once with the mountain bike, but walked part of it)...the longest nonstop segment yet. Also (another day) part of the creek woods south trail, which I hadn't ridden on any bike before, though I'd walked the bike over it. Moments of stark terror ("I'm gonna crash into that tree! Made it--oops, no, another tree! Whew!" although the actual words coming out of my mouth were less coherent and less appropriate.) Eventually I will put the segments together and ride the whole thing. And it will be fun. (The tiny moments when my brain wasn't screaming "Look out! Look out! Tree! Root! Hole! You're gonna die, you idiot, you're too old for this!" were fun. Afterwards, of course, the screaming brain had to admit it was kinda fun even then.)
And I've now agreed that NewBike can have the name Grace, because realsoonnow the excess-to-requirements mountain bike will go to the bike shop, who say they can find it a new home with someone who has longer legs than I do. (I don't want it to sit there in our carport and deteriorate.) Tomorrow--more riding. Streets, land, pasture, woods...who knows? Whatever the day brings. :)
