I must look really competent
Watch out. Gloves may keep hands clean, but if you forget, you might end up with a greasy face.
Riding to work today on the Waterford, which has an internal hub, but functions like a singlespeed, and a bolt had come a little loose, allowing the chain too much slack. I went over a bump and the chain came off. Normally, this is no big deal, but without a derailleur and sans crescent wrench it, my commute to work suddenly looked like a walk with a lot of stuff to carry. Fortunately – I thought – I was by a busy Burger King and street and looking girly in a skirt and boots. Surely someone would at least stop and ask if I was ok when they noticed me poking at the chain. However, I must have looked like I had it under control because NO ONE stopped.
“For crying out loud!” I thought as cars and even trucks went in and out of the restaurant. Then I spied a 2×4 jutting out from a nearby light pole. I hung my bike from the saddle and tried to figure out how to get that chain back on the rear cog. I finally resorted to brute force and by rotating the cranks backwards while pulling the chain towards me as hard as I could, the chain returned to its proper position and I continued on my way.
Upon arriving at work and catching the glance of a grade student across the hall, I went and checked my face in the bathroom. Sure enough, grease on my face, hands and forearms. I guess I forgot it was on my gloves and in the course of getting my bags off my back got it everywhere.
Lesson learned….always carry your fix-it bag, even if it is only 7 minutes to work. Oh, and if you’re really cool, you’ll keep some little ‘fix-it’ gloves in your bag so you don’t sully your fashionable mitts.
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