First order of business on this very special day... Happy Mother's Day!
Love you, Mom!
Now on to Mr. Bike.
I mentioned a couple weeks ago about my bike's wheel problems. I've been riding my spare bike that I use for friends and visiting people to ride while they're with me (which I personally don't love the feel of) in the meantime.
After looking at a bike store a couple weeks ago, I fell in love with a bike there and the salesguy was super nice changing things as I requested it. (Apparently, I've become quite a picky biker. I guess that's what happens when you ride all the time.) It was $600ish and I just couldn't justify that. If it ever got stolen, I would be crushed. So I kept exploring other alternatives. There's a used bike store in my neighborhood and there's this awesome co-op in Pilsen: Working Bikes.
Yesterday was the big day for the co-op trip. The plan: donate Mr. Bike to the co-op so someone else could love it (someone stronger who doesn't mind a heavy bike) and find a new to me one!
First, I had brunch with Rubina in Bucktown and stopped to run a couple errands on the way there. Mr. Bike was doing so well. I was so happy with it.
Then...
I was mere blocks away from meeting Rubina when the wheel started acting up again, aka stopping.
We had brunch and I didn't think about it for a second, but as soon as I returned to my bike I was hoping having a little break would help Mr. Bike. It didn't. I started wheeling it to the bus stop on it's back wheel when a man yelled down the street to ask if I needed help. He was very nice and went through his bike tools in his car and did what he could. He got it so the wheel would at least turn, but he said since I was just going to walk it, he wouldn't put all the safety screws in place.
Well, me being me... the wheel was turning so I figured it's just a few blocks to the bus... i'll ride and stop there. When I left Rubina she said, "Don't be a hero." (She clearly knows me pretty well at this point.) I like to push the limits. So I kept thinking that as one of the screws fell off the wheel onto the street. That's when I officially decided to stop at the bus and not ride the whole way.
Kind of sad that the last major ride was on a bus... wa wah. Also on said bus ride... guess what I noticed? My newish bag's strap was ripping and then shortly after this picture it ripped all the way...
Then I hopped off the bus and rode again (very carefully) to meet Jason, who wanted a new bike as well.
We arrived at Working Bikes and I rolled my bike up to the donation guy. They gave me my tax form and a pint glass!
So nice!
Then Jason & I tried to get the law of the land. A few tips if you happen to go there:
*to test ride find a volunteer (the entire org is run by volunteers), they'll take the tag off the bike and take your id
*it's located on a nice dead end road... perfect area to test drive
*they have hundreds of bikes in the back. It's tempting to want to walk back there and look around yourself, which they will not let you do. However, during the couple hours we were there, as bikes were sold, they would bring out new bikes. So even after you cover one area, if you're around long enough, go back and look again. Also we had an awesome and very patient volunteer working with us who helped us move seats up and down and also we let him know what we liked and were looking for and he went to the back and brought out a few options from the back! How nice! Jason ended up picking one of the bikes he brought out for him.
In a couple hours we both walked out with smiles and new-to-us bikes!
I'm so happy I was able to support an organization like this with my purchase.
They use all the money they make selling bikes to send bikes throughout Latin America and Africa to give people transportation. Also, locally, they work with homeless transition and refugee resettlement programs to redistribute bikes. Not only will my bike have a new life with someone else, but the money from the bike I got is for a good cause!
Love you, Mom!
Now on to Mr. Bike.
I mentioned a couple weeks ago about my bike's wheel problems. I've been riding my spare bike that I use for friends and visiting people to ride while they're with me (which I personally don't love the feel of) in the meantime.
After looking at a bike store a couple weeks ago, I fell in love with a bike there and the salesguy was super nice changing things as I requested it. (Apparently, I've become quite a picky biker. I guess that's what happens when you ride all the time.) It was $600ish and I just couldn't justify that. If it ever got stolen, I would be crushed. So I kept exploring other alternatives. There's a used bike store in my neighborhood and there's this awesome co-op in Pilsen: Working Bikes.
Yesterday was the big day for the co-op trip. The plan: donate Mr. Bike to the co-op so someone else could love it (someone stronger who doesn't mind a heavy bike) and find a new to me one!
First, I had brunch with Rubina in Bucktown and stopped to run a couple errands on the way there. Mr. Bike was doing so well. I was so happy with it.
Then...
I was mere blocks away from meeting Rubina when the wheel started acting up again, aka stopping.
We had brunch and I didn't think about it for a second, but as soon as I returned to my bike I was hoping having a little break would help Mr. Bike. It didn't. I started wheeling it to the bus stop on it's back wheel when a man yelled down the street to ask if I needed help. He was very nice and went through his bike tools in his car and did what he could. He got it so the wheel would at least turn, but he said since I was just going to walk it, he wouldn't put all the safety screws in place.
Well, me being me... the wheel was turning so I figured it's just a few blocks to the bus... i'll ride and stop there. When I left Rubina she said, "Don't be a hero." (She clearly knows me pretty well at this point.) I like to push the limits. So I kept thinking that as one of the screws fell off the wheel onto the street. That's when I officially decided to stop at the bus and not ride the whole way.
 |
| can you see my bike on the front of the bus? |
 |
| i have to start investigating how to fix this i liked that strap |
We arrived at Working Bikes and I rolled my bike up to the donation guy. They gave me my tax form and a pint glass!
So nice!
*to test ride find a volunteer (the entire org is run by volunteers), they'll take the tag off the bike and take your id
*it's located on a nice dead end road... perfect area to test drive
*they have hundreds of bikes in the back. It's tempting to want to walk back there and look around yourself, which they will not let you do. However, during the couple hours we were there, as bikes were sold, they would bring out new bikes. So even after you cover one area, if you're around long enough, go back and look again. Also we had an awesome and very patient volunteer working with us who helped us move seats up and down and also we let him know what we liked and were looking for and he went to the back and brought out a few options from the back! How nice! Jason ended up picking one of the bikes he brought out for him.
In a couple hours we both walked out with smiles and new-to-us bikes!
 |
| HELLLLOOOO there! |
They use all the money they make selling bikes to send bikes throughout Latin America and Africa to give people transportation. Also, locally, they work with homeless transition and refugee resettlement programs to redistribute bikes. Not only will my bike have a new life with someone else, but the money from the bike I got is for a good cause!
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