Happy St. Patrick's Day!
As I am not Irish, others can--and did-- convey the spirit of this day much better than I ever could.
Here's one of them:
He is, of course, Sheldon Brown--one of the patron saints of the cycling world.
I can't believe he's been gone for six years already. I hope that, wherever he's gone, he's found this:
No doubt he's sharing a ride, a story and a Guinness Stout or two with this fellow:
Perhaps it's strange to talk about a "typical March day" in this part of the world, as this month's weather is the least predictable of all. On any of the 31 days between February and April, we can have (and have had) everything from summer-like heat waves to the most intense blizzards.
But somehow today seems like it could only be of this month: chilly winds are blowing under clear skies streaked by the faintest wisps of cumulus clouds.
It feels, to me, like the door to a new season. I can see what's inside even if I can't enter yet.
Somehow this photo seems apt:
You probably saw this coming.
In an earlier post, I mentioned the Trek 720 hybrid frame that came my way.
Well, I put it together with some parts I had lying around and others I scrounged from bike shops where I do business. And what little riding I've done during the past few weeks (We've had lots of ice on the streets, bridges and bike lanes!) has been done on that bike. I didn't feel like getting road salt and sand all over my Mercians.
Now someone else has that bike. A young female grad student I know needed some basic transportation.
What did she give me in return? Gratitude. You see, I took off the seat (Brooks B 17) and pedals (MKS Lambda, a.k.a. Grip King) and let her take the rest of the bike.
I look at it this way: I didn't spend any money on the bike and I rode it for a couple of months. All right, so I spent some time--but not much--putting it together. I guess I can call that service.
