Thursday Musette
I watched live coverage of the first stage of the TDF on Saturday. It was an 18-kilometer time trial. Lance Armstrong started last as he was last year's winner.
In the starting house, there's a holder whose job is to hold the bike upright so the rider can clip into his pedals. He lets go at the starting time and the rider powers away.
But this start was a little different. Armstrong rolled down the starting ramp and his foot popped out of the pedal! Usually a rider is pushing hard to get up to speed, and popping out of a pedal can cause a violent wobble or even a crash. Armstrong merely hesitated, clicked back in, and went on to trounce the competition.
Now, you might think I'm making too much of this, but the idea of crashing right at the start of a TT kind of resonates with me. I've had this persistent fear of toppling over at the start of a TT, flopping around like a fish and unable to get out of the pedals. Of the many faux pas I've committed or contemplated, this one has staying power. I'd NEVER live it down!
………………
I had a dream that I'd cut off my right forefinger during the night. It was lying on the bed when I 'awoke' and it never bled, nor did I feel any pain. Mary fixed it by using a Popsicle stick for a splint. She put it back together with duct tape, and if I do say so myself, she did a very nice job!
Maybe this indicates that there are too many things in this house that are patched together with duct tape. I don't know. But there's always a roll of it in my toolbag.
……………………
We had a typical Oklahoma Fourth of July - hotdogs and firecrackers. I worried that some errant missile would set fire to the big pine tree in the front yard, burning the car and the house. The bikes are safely in the garage, of course. There's no room for a car in there!
……………………
On Tuesday, my rear tire picked up a large chunk of glass on the way to work. It stuck in there and partially plugged the hole, making for a slow leak. I stopped twice to pump up the tire and finally limped across the parking lot. Then I took the wheel out and carried it into the building, planning to repair it at lunchtime. I’ve had tubes that consisted mainly of patches, and fortunately this wasn’t one of them. It only has 2 right now. But I was keeping a sharp eye for more glass on the way home.
In the starting house, there's a holder whose job is to hold the bike upright so the rider can clip into his pedals. He lets go at the starting time and the rider powers away.
But this start was a little different. Armstrong rolled down the starting ramp and his foot popped out of the pedal! Usually a rider is pushing hard to get up to speed, and popping out of a pedal can cause a violent wobble or even a crash. Armstrong merely hesitated, clicked back in, and went on to trounce the competition.
Now, you might think I'm making too much of this, but the idea of crashing right at the start of a TT kind of resonates with me. I've had this persistent fear of toppling over at the start of a TT, flopping around like a fish and unable to get out of the pedals. Of the many faux pas I've committed or contemplated, this one has staying power. I'd NEVER live it down!
………………
I had a dream that I'd cut off my right forefinger during the night. It was lying on the bed when I 'awoke' and it never bled, nor did I feel any pain. Mary fixed it by using a Popsicle stick for a splint. She put it back together with duct tape, and if I do say so myself, she did a very nice job!
Maybe this indicates that there are too many things in this house that are patched together with duct tape. I don't know. But there's always a roll of it in my toolbag.
……………………
We had a typical Oklahoma Fourth of July - hotdogs and firecrackers. I worried that some errant missile would set fire to the big pine tree in the front yard, burning the car and the house. The bikes are safely in the garage, of course. There's no room for a car in there!
……………………
On Tuesday, my rear tire picked up a large chunk of glass on the way to work. It stuck in there and partially plugged the hole, making for a slow leak. I stopped twice to pump up the tire and finally limped across the parking lot. Then I took the wheel out and carried it into the building, planning to repair it at lunchtime. I’ve had tubes that consisted mainly of patches, and fortunately this wasn’t one of them. It only has 2 right now. But I was keeping a sharp eye for more glass on the way home.
posted by Ed W at 9:15 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home