Oh, Summer Days

What with the advent of summer days biting at our ankles, I've been focusing on getting ready for days of unlimited sunshine. And what better way to do this than to invest in some motely gear and go biking.

I'd been wanting to buy a bike for a while, but had held off (with shrewd strategic foresight) for the end of the 5-borough bike race next week. "After that's over this city will be teeming with second hand bikes being sold at a discount," Delta had assured me. So I'd been patiently (albeit finger-drummingly) biding my time till I could get my gruddy paws on one of those 'cheap second hand bikes'.

But then, as we were driving home from the Catskills last weekend, I suddenly clutched on his arm. "We need to pull over! Quick! I have to pee." So we took the next exit, and found ourselves confronted by one of those large anonymous Targets that seem to be at every exit on the motorway. Scuttling like a crab, I slunk into the Target and made a beeline for the restrooms. It was only when I came back out that we had time to glance around us.

And there, we saw it. The Ficali bike. Exactly my colour. And my size. Just the right type and the right price. Calling out my name. I couldn't believe it.

"But, erm, we have a two-door speedster," Delta, ever the sensible one, broke into my bike-centred reverie. "How are we going to pack it in the car?!"
My face fell.
Sigh. "Okay fine, let's go check the car trunk."

So we lowered the back seat and shuffled the baggage and pushed and crammed and squished and squeezed. Then we removed the front wheel of the bike so it could fold in on itself, and suddenly, there we were. A two seater crammed with two people, their baggage, and a dismantled bike. Just like a scene from a Chevy Chase film.

And now, I have a bike (and a helmet. and gloves. and a bottle in a cycle rack.). Bring on the summer!