Day 47: Bicycling disaster

So the title pretty much sums it up. In the words of Kate, "F*** this bike."

Last night, we went and filled up my tires and decided to go to Fairhaven on the bike path. I was super pumped for the adventure. And the bike path itself is fantastic. My new bike, however, is not. In fact, it sucks. In fact, it sucks so much that I am going to return it tomorrow.

Here's the deal: I already mentioned that the bike seat propels me forward. Still doing that today. The handlebars aren't terribly comfortable because they have a lot of grooves in them, and the fact that I'm resting on them (due to the propelling of the seat) puts grooves in my hands. Also, the bike won't shift properly. Kate and I stopped several times and experimented with the chain. It went something like this:

Me: Ok, I'm in 7th gear but it hasn't shifted.
Kate: Yeah, you're in 4th gear... let me put the chain on the the 7th gear
Me: Okay [rides two feet] [bike automatically shifts back to 4th]
Kate: [tries moving chain again] [bike automatically shifts back to 4th]
Me: Let me try putting it IN 4th gear. [nothing]
Kate: Try shifting through all of the gears? [gears 1 - 4 kind of work. other gears do not] [Kate fiddles some more with it. Cannot figure it out]

We continued on our merry way and I soon started cursing the damn bicycle and how uncomfortable it was and how it was making a weird clinking noise and how I couldn't be in the gear I wanted to be in and how the bike sucks and how I hated it, which turned into a discussion of how all of the investments I have made in my life have turned against me and nothing ever works the way it's supposed to. Damn.

Halfway through the 10 mile trek, I just couldn't take it anymore. I felt absolutely miserable. But I didn't want to end our exploration! Kate being the noble gal that she is ended up trading bikes with me. Hers is a delicious (and very expensive) road bike. It felt like riding a cloud. While I continued on, yelling "This is what a bike ride should feel like!" she trailed behind, yelking "F*** this bike!"

So it's decided. The bike is going back where it belongs and I am going to continue my quest to find a bike that's worth it.