8th ride of 2015 - Tuesday, 5/12/2015

After an enforced three-day layoff, it felt wonderful to be able to ride again today! My trike broke at the middle folding joint on Saturday morning, after I had taken it to Gallup Park to ride. When I found parts on the ground, I knew that I could not reassemble it in order to ride safely, so I packed it up and came home. Sunday, the dealer was not open, and then yesterday, I took it to the dealer (Jacks Bicycle, in Dearborn) in the morning, where they confirmed my impression that I could not have done it, as they needed special tools and some new parts. But they soon had it fixed, and then I hoped to ride when I got home. But after assembling the trike, and climbing on, I found that it would not pedal. In dismay I noticed that, during the folding and transport, the chain had come off the gears at the rear wheel.

I contacted my friend Doug Tidd, an experienced cyclist, knowing that he could put it right, and he came over at the end of the work day. But by this time, early evening, a light rain was beginning, and, since Michelle had asked me not to ride in the rain, I took a third day off.

This morning, I did a 9.3-mile ride, having hoped to go a bit further, but, given the way I found myself huffing and puffing after the layoff, I decided it would be better to reel it in. I rode down into the northern part of Saline (all on walks), and then, on my way home, I stopped by the house of my friends the Granums, hoping to show off my new wheels, since Doris had encouraged me to pop in any time without being expected, and said that perhaps she'd hop on her bike and join me for a few miles. But, finding no one there, I continued back to our home, glad for the MSU hoodie that I had found in our trunk, to wear over my short-sleeve shirt, since today is substantially cooler than yesterday.