Look, a badge! That says I’m highly improving.
It was a rough ride back from Vancouver. My battery didn’t turn on and that bike is HEAVY! Also the approach to the I-5 bridge is a big long hill.
I’m not sure if I was highly improving. It took me about a week to recover from that ride.
I was walking home from birthday dinner with friend Kelly when what should I see but a Trek 820 mountain bike.
Okay, this wasn’t my first bike. My first bike was a banana seat with two much pink and streamers. But the Trek 820 was the first bike I bought myself. It was also the bike that got me into bike commuting. I felt sturdier on the knobby tires then the 10-speed skinny tires on the bike I had been riding. (I wouldn’t figure out the commuter tires thing until the third bike I bought.)
I loved my little green Trek and I’m surprised to find I can’t remember what happened to it. I might have sold it after I got my next bike. But I’m pretty sure we parted in Massachusetts.
So this isn’t my bike. But it’s exactly like my bike. Good memories.
O! If only all the things worked together!
The new bike’s rack is a different gauge than the bike rack on the old bike. So these two sets of transporting options must go. I’m sad to see them go. The panniers I spent a bunch of money on. In my mind, they were still shiny and new, but they did have a lot of wear when I looked them over. I advertised them on Craigslist for $20, but no takers, so I switched them to free and someone stopped to pick them up.
The bike buckets went fast at $20 total. I advertised that they came with “authentic Portland street grit” and that helped, I think. Quality products, those bike buckets are.
I also sorted through a bunch of bike things and set bits and bobs out on the parking strip. They were gone before the end of the day.
And here’s my great find. Not only is zoned travel long-gone from the TriMet map, they stopped accepting those tickets years and years ago! Money down the drain! And look at this change I had been sitting on for so many years. I had been thinking of buying those cord corrals, so that was a bonus find.
I think these things might have been from our big bike trip to Eugene in 2011. My guess is that I never fully unpacked that bag and hadn’t used it since.
I initially dismissed that the handlebar stem on my new bike folded down, though I did like that it could balance independently in an upright position. Those two things came together in a big win that means that I can store my bike in our locked shed!
It wouldn’t fit if the handlebars were sticking out, but folded flat, I’ve got a very secure area for my bike.
This is great news, as I was thinking about storing this bike on the back porch where my old bike had been hanging, but wasn’t feeling great about the level of security.
Thanks, Tern. You were looking out for me and I didn’t even know it!
Having procured an ebike, it is now time to send my trusty blue bike to a new home. I called my local bike shop, Kenton Cycle Repair, and the following conversation ensued:
Color me amused that my local bike shop owner has matched my bike to my name. I explained why I was selling it and made plans to bring it in.
Here’s this winner, one last time.
When I got there Rich said it was in great shape, which wasn’t a surprise since I had it tuned up in February 2020 and then was laid off, so bike commuting went out the window. He then told me I could probably sell it for more than he was offering but offered me a chunk of store credit that was $25.00 less than I was hoping to sell it for.
I left the bike with Rich, confident he would find it a good home. When I asked him why he liked that bike so much he said that they just don’t build them like this anymore.
It’s been a good decade-plus with the blue bike. We’ve had some solid adventures and I hope the new owner also loves its many charms.
After years with my fun step-through mountain bike, I have find a new bicycle companion. This is my Tern GSD S10 ebike!
I’m super excited to supplement my bike riding with some pedal assist. While I think the bike itself is kind of ugly, I love how much cargo capacity it has, and that it folds down to be a bit more compact, and can stand upright on its own.
This bike cost me as much as some people pay for a used car, but I hope to use it for years to come.
I needed an afternoon off, so I rode my bike to the Grotto, where I passed a very peaceful couple of hours. Some things I saw:
This statue, which I only took a picture of because Matt’s brother is named Thad.
This great brass casting.
The difference between the stones in the labyrinth. The lighter ones are the path, the darker ones are the lines.
My bike ride this afternoon gave me fun views of interesting things including this rainbow.
I’ve also enjoyed seeing which houses count a senior (in high school or college) among their residents. I would have been very sad to have my senior year usurped, and I hope that the odd end to their high school career is a jumping off point for a better future.
I’ve been taking afternoon bike rides (which are lovely) and enjoyed finding these two figureheads setting a good example for the neighborhood.
I like how stylish their masks are.
The bridge on Willamette right before the turnoff to Fred Meyer has been a landing place for signs.
While every death like George Floyd’s is heartbreaking, Breonna Taylor’s murder hit me hard.
I went to pick up the native plants I ordered from the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District and I found this hearty and well-covered structure.
Way to do it right, EMSWCD. I forgive you for interviewing me twice and then never officially telling me I didn’t get the job. I didn’t get it right? Because if I did, I’m 12 years late.
