Ride like the wind

The bike, the bike the bike.  I finally rode it at lunch today, the first time in months.  I did learn some things. For instance, I am going to need to develop a more efficient way to get the bike in and out of the car because what I did today was not efficient and I don't want to make that unpleasentness a habit. Minni Van was a total turn off in many ways but it was very easy to to get the bike in and out of it. I'm going to have to study the Element Owners Forum to see if they have any tips to make it easier without buying the bike holder thing that Honda sells for the car.

And then there is the little problem with the bike seat. I am seeing a slip cover in its future, Ow!.
 I may have suggested that the seat was a little high while I was riding it... It was uncomfortable so I might have made comment about perhaps it could be lower and then  I discovered that there is "lower" and then there is "too low", I tried to suggest that it could be a little higher and it refused! It went right down but it would absolutely not go right back up.  Purple bike would do it on demand! I wanted to feel tall and it said ok! be a giant or I was having a short day and it said "ok! be an elf! .

I discovered that it is just about the same amount of uncomfortable to ride the bike when the seat is too low as it when it is too high. I tried and tried to get it to go back up but it adjusted itself  shorter like a charm but it would adjust itself taller for anything. Purple bike would have felt my pain.

I also learned or was reminded that a major difference between an exer-bike and a real bike is that when you peddle faster on an exer-bike you peddle faster the exer-bike doesn't bolt forward in a startling manner and you do not want to be startled when you are bolting forward! its off-putting. The exer-bike does not startle the rider with bolting behavior, while the real bike takes great pleasure in bolting!  I had forgotten this.

It also came to my attention that my real bike does not  mud guards or a thing that goes over the greasy parts or fenders. It also does not have a kick stand! I can't blame the environment of bike anorexia ( "my bike needs to weight less! every once counts!") that is in style today for this because back when I bought the bike such niceties were probably kept off to save money not weight.

I need the kick stand because of another issue I discovered. The back tire has a fast leak. It holds air for approximately twenty-five minutes, so it needs to get aired up constantly. It is easier to do this if the bike can stand on its own. I start to add up the things the bike needs 1) new tire, 2)mud guards, 3)grease guard, 4) kick stand  - and it all starts to add up. I have to decide if I want to fix the existing bike or just buy another. I did the fix the bike thing with the last one and it was a bad call. I could just buy a new one at Target and give my Dad his/my bike back and start over and when that bike starts to fall apart I could donate it to the guy who takes bikes and fixes them up and gives them to kids.

Its something to think about.