Onward

ZOMG, how have I lived this long without a bike!

I love it. Her. Definitely a her, though I almost named her Edward.

This is not her, but it’s one of her sisters. My seat is white, handlebar grips are black, and my basket is different. But still. Admire the beauty!

So. The saga. For starters, the kid and I woke up sick this morning. Just stomachaches, but we both felt worse when we moved, so I called us both off and we went back to bed.

At nearly ten the kid reported a big–but “not big enough for a bike”–box on the back porch.

On our first glimpse of the lovely creature lurking in the box, the kid observed that the paint sparkled in the sunlight, and then she named it the Twilight bike. I pretended to throw a wrench at her. But the name “Edward” got in my head and wouldn’t get out.

Then began an intense period of negotiation. With tools. We took a lot of breaks because too much movement still upset our stomachs, so it took a good three or four hours (and a trip to the hardware store for an air pump) to get it together enough to even think it was ready to ride.

You noticed the “think” part, right?

The directions were awful. Small typo-filled print for at least three different models of bikes, and the tiny black and white pictures were no help at all, and some parts needing assembling were ignored completely…

So that’s why I put the handlebar on backwards, all right? I put the handlebar on backwards, which left the fork aimed backwards, and that put the fender really close to the frame, and when I turned my bike the pedal scratched the fender.

Also the seat went down with a jolt ’cause I didn’t tighten it enough.

But hey! I rode a bike for the first time in at least fifteen years and didn’t wreck! The kid rode her bike for the first time in two weeks and she did wreck!

So anyway. Left the kid in my dust, but figured out something was wrong, so we came back. I fixed the kid’s chain (which is why she wrecked; it was too loose) and then tried to figure out my issues. Tried putting the fender supports in different places. (Inside the fork, outside the fork, attached elsewhere, turn the fender what I swore was backwards but could be right…)

When it got dark I gave up and came in and pouted.

I went online to find a picture of my bike, and immediately spotted one important difference between the picture and the reality. Turned the front wheel around, loosened the stem bolt and turned the handlebar back forward–and then me and the kid went for a ride. In the dark.

It was glorious.

So. New addition to the family. Her name is Zephyra Glitter!Imp the Whim-cycle, and I love her very much. She has a coated-wire removable basket that has a handle, so I can go to the store (when I’m up to riding that far) and pick up a few things. I can put my netbook (did I mention I ordered a netbook? *looks shifty* ) in it and ride down to the library. There’s room there for a lunch, too, or our swimsuits and towels when the nearby pool is open again.

And just as soon as my helmet and lock arrive, I’m riding my beautiful baby to work.  ^__^