Crash!

Oops. I crashed my bike on Monday. I was almost home, just cruising along on the sidewalk a few hundred yards from the apartment complex. Bushes border the park that is across the street from our apartment and I drifted my left handle (and therefore hand) into the bushes. Immediately I veered left toward the bushes, so I yanked the handlebars right . . .

Right into a telephone pole. It happened so fast I didn't even have time to brake. The front tire smashed into the pole and back end of the bike flew up into the air above my head. Both my feet hit the ground as I tried to keep myself from falling over sideways. I gained control of the bike after the second big bounce, discreetly (yeah right!) glanced around to see if anyone close had seen it and then checked the front tire to see if any air was leaking. Nope. So I got back on the bike and rode home. Besides my wounded pride I was perfectly fine. I noticed a brown spot on my knee from the telephone pole so I guess I hit my knee on it, but I don't remember hitting it!

I thought the bike was fine until I got on it to go to work on Tuesday. The bike's balance seemed off and it just felt different. A very cursory glance at the frame revealed nothing. At work, I was reminded that Bryan Speer - the Athletic Director and basketball coach at LCS, - is a pretty knowledgeable bike guy. He showed me where I had cracked the frame and how off-kilter the handlebars and forks are.

So, I must apologize to my dad, who gave me his old bike to use. Now I broke it. I've kept riding it to work, hoping that the bike doesn't fall apart while I'm riding it. I took a look at Bryan Speer's old mountain bike that he's willing to sell me. I'm going to take the bike in to a shop Bryan recommended to me next week after Amy and I return from camping. If it can be fixed for a reasonable price, then I'll get it fixed. I hope I don't have to buy a new bike, but it's my transportation, so we'll see how God works things out and then I'll make a decision.