Break the Cycle

Yay, my internet still works! I triumphed over the evils of crossed wires and miscommunications.

Since the kids went back to school, I’ve been cycling with my lad to school in an effort to save the planet, save me petrol money, and get into a shape that isn’t potato. It’s been going really well and both of us have been enjoying it. To go along with the benefits already mentioned, my boy says that his concentration has also increased whilst at school, and the feeling of smugness I got when I didn’t have to queue for fuel was orgasmic.

Wheelie Bad

On Thursday morning, I’d got about 3 minutes from my door when my bike broke. Now, I know nothing (Jon Snow) about bikes, but Google is my friend. My rear derailleur had got bent somehow, touched my wheel and then got even more bent. Nothing else seemed to be damaged. I googled it, and somebody who overestimated the intelligence of the average Joe like me, said it was quite a simple job. All I had to do was remove it (looked difficult), do something with a cable (looked even more difficult), alter this bit, tighten that bit…. It was at this point I realised that I wasn’t listening and I’d already made my mind up to take it to someone who knew what they were doing.

One of my mates is well into cycling and recommended a place to take it to, so I took the front wheel off to get it into my car (that bit I can do), and drove it over. Anyway, to cut a long story short, it’s now twenty-four hours later and it’s going to cost me £250 to get fully repaired. The bike didn’t even cost that much more than that when I bought it. So, it’s not going to get repaired.

Chain Reaction

All the money saved by cycling to the school doesn’t cover the repair costs. And I don’t even have a bike any more. I’m, financially, a lot worse off for even contemplating the idea in the first place.

I looked into repairing it myself but you can’t buy cycle spares nowadays. Or even bikes themselves. Also, while we’re on the subject, you can’t even buy Thorntons toffee any more (but that’s another story). It’s probably nothing to do with Brexit though.

At least I bypassed the petrol crisis.

Today’s boxset: Fort Salem (Season 2) – I think I’m too old for it.