From Strangers to Friends

The other day I took my fixed gear bike out for a ride to the Environmental Learning center.

It's a nice ride - you go past a lot of parks and water follows you the whole way along the bike trail.

The "fixie" I rode was purchased a year ago on Craigslist, and from what I can tell, it pretty much is assembled out of used parts dating back to the early 1970s. Why not? I had told myself, when the time came to purchase this bike.

So there I am, about 7 miles from home, cruising along, when my left crank starts to wobble. Uh oh, I'm thinking.

Nothing worse than being caught a long way from home with a broken bike. Oh, and I forgot to mention - there were dark rain clouds building up too.

Sure enough, the crank falls off, and there I am caught on the side of the trail, examining the situation.

Not sure if you've ever ridden a fixed gear bike. They're weird. You can't stop pedaling and coast. You just have to crank and crank and crank.

Oddly enough, this was a good thing for my situation! I ended up looking a little strange, as I rode past a group of 20 or so kids, pumping away with my right leg, and letting my left leg dangle.

Well, after a couple of miles of this, I grew tired and decided to walk.

I went through an alley, past some backyard gardens, and came out in front of a house where an insurance guy was finishing a sales call.

"Hey, do you need a ride?" He called out.

I looked over, and he drove a Subaru Forester with a bike rack on top. My kind of guy.

"I don't need one, but I'll take one!"

So this nice gentleman, Bob Smith, of all names, became my new best friend.

He drove me to the bike shop, they fixed me up, and I was on my way.

Moral of the story: You never know when a stranger will become your friend.

Reach for the top, -Wally

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