broken chain cures shyness...

[Kano]

-- well, at least for a llittle while!

It's a slightly silly story, but I'm posting a couple of things, and this one was a fun maintenance type event in our lives the other day that I thought I'd share.

So, I have some "garage sale bikes" for my grandsons to use when they're visiting. "Recycled" cycles are pretty much ideal for these little squirts who grow faster than weeds in my garden! I kind of like having them around (both boys and bikes) -- I get to learn things about fixing bikes, and the boys have fun. Can't lose, eh?

Friday, they were riding on the driveway when suddenly, "HEY! my chain!"

Yup, the chain fell OFF -- not just off the gears, OFF.

Pedaling madly with no chain is a lot of fun apparently, though the lack of forward motion was a huge sacrifice. Rion wanted it fixed. Seemed to think fixing it with the chain from his brother's bike was the answer...

"We'll take it with us when we take your brother to school, and get some parts at the bike shop. Then we'll fix it when we get home." (it was nearly time to get in the car anyway)

We dropped big brother off, then, driving down the road, "Is THAT the chain store, Gramma?" -- over and over and over again, of course, being a three year old!

Finally arriving at "the chain store", I liberated Rion from his car seat and asked him if he'd like to carry the chain inside. So, as though he was holding a snake aloft, he proudly carried his chain, and in his typical talks-too-fast-in-an-effort-to-get-a-word-in-edgewise (mom and big brother both talk a LOT!), he said something about that he'd been riding his bike and the chain fell off and now it won't go even though he pedals like crazy and he needs it fixed to the bike shop guys. His version was much longer than mine!

Bike shop guy takes the chain, shows it to bike fixer guy, and they decide one of those special links will do the job. Chain back to Rion, and special link in my purse, we thanked the bike shop guys for helping us with this dire emergency, and went back to the car so we could go to the ski stuff sales and get a new ski helmet and goggles for the soon-to-be-newbie-skier, which was our original plan for the afternoon.

Now, of course, tools weren't really needed, but Rion was insistent that he wanted to put the chain back on with tools: he was going to ham the chain back together with a hammer!

The most fun part of this story? Mommy's reaction later when I shared it with her: RION TALKED TO THE GUY IN THE BIKE SHOP???? HE NEVER TALKS TO ANYONE!

Karen in Boise

[txred9876]

-- well, at least for a llittle while!

It's a slightly silly story, but I'm posting a couple of things, and this one was a fun maintenance type event in our lives the other day that I thought I'd share.

So, I have some "garage sale bikes" for my grandsons to use when they're visiting. "Recycled" cycles are pretty much ideal for these little squirts who grow faster than weeds in my garden! I kind of like having them around (both boys and bikes) -- I get to learn things about fixing bikes, and the boys have fun. Can't lose, eh?

Friday, they were riding on the driveway when suddenly, "HEY! my chain!"

Yup, the chain fell OFF -- not just off the gears, OFF.

Pedaling madly with no chain is a lot of fun apparently, though the lack of forward motion was a huge sacrifice. Rion wanted it fixed. Seemed to think fixing it with the chain from his brother's bike was the answer...

"We'll take it with us when we take your brother to school, and get some parts at the bike shop. Then we'll fix it when we get home." (it was nearly time to get in the car anyway)

We dropped big brother off, then, driving down the road, "Is THAT the chain store, Gramma?" -- over and over and over again, of course, being a three year old!

Finally arriving at "the chain store", I liberated Rion from his car seat and asked him if he'd like to carry the chain inside. So, as though he was holding a snake aloft, he proudly carried his chain, and in his typical talks-too-fast-in-an-effort-to-get-a-word-in-edgewise (mom and big brother both talk a LOT!), he said something about that he'd been riding his bike and the chain fell off and now it won't go even though he pedals like crazy and he needs it fixed to the bike shop guys. His version was much longer than mine!

Bike shop guy takes the chain, shows it to bike fixer guy, and they decide one of those special links will do the job. Chain back to Rion, and special link in my purse, we thanked the bike shop guys for helping us with this dire emergency, and went back to the car so we could go to the ski stuff sales and get a new ski helmet and goggles for the soon-to-be-newbie-skier, which was our original plan for the afternoon.

Now, of course, tools weren't really needed, but Rion was insistent that he wanted to put the chain back on with tools: he was going to ham the chain back together with a hammer!

The most fun part of this story? Mommy's reaction later when I shared it with her: RION TALKED TO THE GUY IN THE BIKE SHOP???? HE NEVER TALKS TO ANYONE!

Karen in Boise

How cute! Thanks for sharing.

[MomOnBike]

It seems to me that the kid didn't talk to people because they weren't talking about anything he was interested in. The bike chain, on the other hand. . .

[Biciclista]

grandson? great story!

[bmccasland]

It seems to me that the kid didn't talk to people because they weren't talking about anything he was interested in. The bike chain, on the other hand. . .

If his true interest in life is bikes, and he was spinning like mad to get his bike to go, in about 20 years will we be seeing Rion in the TdF?

[Wahine]

What a great story. Thank you so much for sharing this.

[Kano]

If his true interest in life is bikes, and he was spinning like mad to get his bike to go, in about 20 years will we be seeing Rion in the TdF?

Wouldn't that be cool? He DOES have that "scrawny" build that we see on some of those boys!

Yesterday's question was "where's my chain?"

Chain is back on the bike.

Response to that? "YEAH!!!! I can GO again!"

Unfortunately, the day didn't allow for GO! time...

Making this particular bike GO!!! is a challenge even with a chain. It's a pretty nasty little thing -- as I mentioned in the original post, these little bikes we've got around here for the kids are GREAT learning tools for DH and I! It will be fun to get him nicer bikes as he grows if he continues this excitement!

Rion

[Kano]

It seems to me that the kid didn't talk to people because they weren't talking about anything he was interested in. The bike chain, on the other hand. . .

Maybe, but you know how little kids go through those phases -- he's been a hide behind one's leg person for a long time now, and the little boy who's coming out of that "cocoon" is REALLY neat!

(side note -- mommy says he's very different suddenly too. He spent last week with daddy, and she's wondering if she brought the same kid home Sunday evening!)

Karen in Boise

[malkin]

Sometimes all it takes is to have something to say and someone to say it to.