:: Life on Planet Dan-E ::

:: Sunday, June 29, 2008 ::

:: Flat ::

I've been contemplating buying a bike for a while. The only thing that's kept me is the rampant petty theft so prevalent in South Beach. Back when I was in art school, I knew one guy who went through three bikes, five bike seats, seven wheels and tires, two handlebars, and even a set of pedals. In one year.

But now that my job has a place for employees to store our bikes indoors, I'm less worried about it being stolen. I took the bus over to the Target since a couple of my co-workers also bought bikes there. Of course, since I was already there, I stopped by Five Guys to get my cheeseburger fix.

I'm not looking for anything fancy, just a decent bike that can haul my fat ass between work and home and not break apart. This way I don't break sweat while walking to work or spend money on a cab. I find a good one for only $90 and I also grab a sturdy-looking lock for $12. Considering my budget was $160 or so, I did all right. This was cool. My first set of wheels in five years. I'm going to enjoy this.

Then I tried to ride home.

I was okay until I hit the Macarthur causeway and discovered I'd be pedaling roughly three miles into the wind. I shouldn't have stopped running. That sucked. And then just before I make it across, there's a small "hill" I have to crest just before Alton Road. That really sucked.

I finally made it over the hump and got back on the beach... only to discover my rear tire was getting flat. I JUST bought the damn thing and I ALREADY have a flat? (God either hates me or he just needed a good laugh after a long week.)

This map shows you roughly my route (I went down Biscayne instead of the freeway, obviously. I forget my rocket boosters at home) from Target to where I discovered my flat tire. Fortunately, there's a gas station nearby and I had just enough air. I thought that maybe it was simply under inflated and I didn't notice until now.

I go home, take a quick shower because I'm drenched in sweat from the ride. When I'm ready to head to work, the tire is flat. So once again, I have to walk to work and once again, I arrive with my shirt sticking to my body from the sweat. It's a good thing I appreciate irony.

Labels: bike, five guys, frustration, wtf

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 1:31 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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