Today was supposed to be the happy day that I revealed the name I had picked for my lovely blue bike, but alas, I had much sadder news to report. It appears that my bike will be moving on to ride around on the big streets in the sky, because sadly, she has given out. I went for a ride on Sunday and was greeted by a very loud (and unpleasant) noise everytime I hit a bump. I wasn’t sure what the problem was, so I didn’t ride to work either Monday or Tuesday, just to be safe. Then my Dad and I took a look at her on Tuesday night and determined that the shocks were giving out, causing the fork to scrape against the moving front wheel.
My Dad took it to a few repair shops and determined that it was not possible to put new shocks on it, because the frame was incompatible with the new shocks. We tried taking them apart to see if we could breathe some new life into the elastomer bumpers, but they were reduced to a puddle of goo. My options were either: 1) put a fixed fork on for $100, or 2) put my bike to rest. Being as the shifters are also on the cusp of going out, I decided that it would be best to salvage the new parts I put on and just buy a new bike. I only fixed enough the first time around to get it in riding condition, and am afraid that I may be fighting a losing battle with restoring her to mint condition.
So it is with much sadness that I have decided to retire my beautiful blue bike. I’m just glad to have found a suitable name for her, thanks to Penny: Grace Hopper. I think naming my bike after the woman who invented the first compiler and discovered the first computer bug is fitting, don’t you?
I’ll be saving up for a new bike, but in the mean time, my brother has kindly offered to let me use his bike so that I can continue my commuting antics.
So farewell Grace Hopper, I’ll miss you and the fun times we had together. I’ll never forget those years on campus: that time I rode into a tree (ouch!), and the time I skidded on some sand, and fell off, crushing my laptop in the process (double ouch!). You never judged me for being the uncoordinated clod that I can be, and I thank you for that. And although I will get a new bike, know that I will always remember you as the first and most loyal bike I’ve had. Rest in peace.
