Little Red Bike

I love my little red fold up bike but little red bike must be a

she because she totally frustrating me.

Little red bike would unadjusted her brake pads, dropped her chain,

develop annoying clicks and be a stubborn little girl when I tried to change gears.

She really pissed me off when I pulled out of the car last Friday where she had been curled up resting for about a week.

I unfolded her, started to ride and found the chain caught between

the gears an the chain guard.

I not so carefully put her back in the car and walked to work.

She must have gotten jealous when she found out I was eyeing

a red fold-up Dahon to replace little red bike.

I ordered little red bike online and really wanted to buy one in person this time.

Unfortunately, I could not locate any little red Dahon
fold- up bikes in Sacramento.

 I found 2 fold-up bikes in Sacramento, a Tern D-8 and red Giant.

I chose the Tern.

The bike got great online reviews.
Tern bikes are being manufactured by the
son of the Dahon owner.
The bike is solid and responsive.
It is easy to fold and unfold.
City Bicycles reminded me it is important to fold it exactly as instructed to make
sure the derailleur is not damaged.

Little red bike is going to a new home.
She was great while she lasted but it is time to move on.

IT'S MY EVANS... MY INAUGURAL RIDE

MY EVANS... MY RIDE

My EVANS restoration started last August. We found a place in Sacramento that restored vintage bikes.

When I picked the bike up in October, I envisioned my shiny bike that looked just like it was on my 7th birthday.

It was not to be. The paint was not right, my basket was not there.

In January, we repainted the frame on the bike steel gray and added

baby blue and gray stripes. I bought a bell and a giant retro headlight.

I have been waiting for the perfect event for the inaugural ride.

Sunday, May 5, City of Folsom closed Scott Road for the public to ride walk, run, skate for the day with no traffic.

The perfect venue; friends, Todd, blue skies and 12 miles of open road.

This mid-century modern woman left for the ride

concerned about the tire that blew out the night before.

Problem was a slightly bent and rusty rim that didn't allow the tire to seat properly. She worried she may not make it out of the parking lot before the tire blew again. She forgot her helmet. She found out the brakes hadn't been worked on so they just sorta stopped.

The mid-century modern woman realized the 7 year old child inside didn't care if there were no brakes, if the tire might blow and didn't know there was such a thing as bike helmets.

The 7 year old was reminded of learning to ride her bike on the goose-berry bush-lined drive way in Cheney, WA.

She remembered riding her bike to the grocery store to buy a

loaf of soft, white bread.

She remembered riding to school under the drooping lilac branches.

She remembered pedaling on dirt roads in the middle of wheat fields in the Palouse country of Eastern Washington.

She didn't care about the bumps. She didn't know there were bikes with more than one speed.

She remembered the wind blowing in her hair, and the sweet smell of spring.

She just remembered the pure sense of freedom riding a bike brings.

I returned as the 7 year old child.

I remembered the pure joy of riding a bicycle,

not really caring how far or how fast I went.

This mid-century modern woman does want brakes that work and tire rims that don't puncture tires. She will be viewing U-Tube on how to repair the brakes. She will wear a bike helmet on future rides.

She will remember how much the 7 year old

Beverley Anne Kennedy loved her bike.