Old Fools Journal: But I Can Reach the Pedals

I believe that it was Albert Einstein that said "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results". Our government proves that again and again in many ways, people who get married again and again prove it (especially when they do it with the same partner) and I in my small way just proved it one more time. You see I have this bicycle that I wrote about over a year ago (see here) that while in a frenzy of spring cleaning I cleaned and decided to test ride which I do with each bike I clean or repair. I had pretty much the same result as all other attempts. First I had a hell of time getting on top of that damned contraption then I immediately took off at a rate of speed faster than I can think which led to trying to negotiate a turn at a speed far above my skill level. The bike developed a high speed front end wobble the likes of which I haven't seen since I was a kid riding down the hill in front of my grandmother's house. I got out of it all right but I believe that I proved that peeing your pants will help you avoid the ditch because that's all I did besides hold on with a death grip like you have never seen. My knuckles were shining bright. If it had been night I would have lit up the street. Then a minute later I coasted confidently into my front yard only to discover (too late) that I had not thought out a dismount procedure for this devil's toy. I managed to get off with without breaking anything but there was so much flailing of limbs, scooting, sliding, pirouetting and cursing that the dogs thought I was having a fight with myself and the cats just disappeared. That high seated french booby trap is off limits to me once again.

I bought this at Goodwill for the fenders but when I found what I had I decided to put some new tires on it and ride. It is a 1973 Peugeot with full fenders, aluminum wheels, full lighting with generator and rack. It weighs 22 pounds. I don't know what kind of butt the seat was designed for but it certainly was not mine. The 30 year old Chinese seat I replaced it with is much better and I am in no way shaped like a Chinaman of 30 years ago. It reminds me of the Peugeot car I once had. Ergonomics was not a word in Peugeot's dictionary in those days. It fit no being with symmetrical limbs.

Oh well, at least it's light and easy to move out of my way. Maybe I'll make it into a hat rack.