98th ride of 2015 - Thursday, 9/3/2015

First, I sing the praises of Jack's Bicycle in Dearborn! When I took my trike there this morning because of the blowout right front tire I had suffered yesterday, they also checked the left one (per my request), and replaced both—at no charge—with higher quality tires. They told me that they should last "at least twice as long" in miles as the cheaper ones I had on there. They also (at my request) upgraded my bag in which to carry my laptop. After I did a trial with it (empty) the other night, and a slight bump made the clips fly off the rack and deposit the bag on the ground, I knew I couldn't carry my laptop in it that way, so I asked about a more secure arrangement. And they gave me (free of charge) a bag with spring loaded clips and a small bungee cord that attaches to the frame. Now I feel considerably more secure about it!

On the way back into town I stopped at Wheels in Motion and put some of the money I had planned to spend on tires toward the purchase of a new water bottle to replace the one I lost earlier this week.

This afternoon I rode a route I call the Bicentennial Loop (because it involves riding along Bicentennial Parkway—on the sidewalk—which runs south from Textile Rd. toward Saline High School). However, I rode in the other direction today from the way I have ridden it in the past, going counterclockwise today, and this had a consequence. My diminished familiarity with the corners of the route led me to take the 90° turn from Woodland onto Industrial in northern Saline too quickly, and so I rolled the trike (onto the grass). It evidently looked much more dramatic than it was, because two motorists passing the intersection just then squealed to a stop, with one lady crying, "OMIGOSH! Are you OKAY?" But I put their minds at ease by hopping back up quickly, flashing a big smile, and two vigorous thumbs-up. This led them to move along ... but not before the other driver commented, "Cool bike! But I think you lost a part of it." When I fell, the computer/odometer popped out of its clip, but I had already seen that, and as I righted the trike, I slipped it back into place.

Evidently the odometer's having been dislodged from the clip loosened it, though, because when I was about 3 miles from home, I glanced down, and was heartily dismayed to find it gone. This is now the second time I've lost one (the first happening on May 22). When I replace it, I'm obviously going to have to be much more careful!

Anyway, this gave me a ride of 10.3 miles, in 1 hour and 7 minutes.