i still have my kickstand

so first off, yes i was stupid. i knew it was stupid at the time, but that didn't stop me.

meeting in downtown oakland. biked there, locked up my bike. boss wanted me to go back to office in san leandro; i drove with her. she drove me home. but i was lazy and didn't get my bike at night. i figured the front wheel might be gone. but i wasn't expecting to step out of BART and see the whole fucking thing stripped down. like all stripped down except the cranks. so, yeah, i know i was stupid. i don't need at dispariging shaking of the head, as i know i got what was coming to me as i was playing russian roulette. but it still sucks. i hate this fall. it sucks. it just fucking sucks.

but, i mean, it was fucking stripped. yeah, yeah, i knew the wheels were gone, and seat and seat post... the chain was also gone. and my flat pedals. and my handlebars. and also that awesome black leather handlebar cover-- that was stitched on the handlebar instead of tape in a crisscross pattern.....that i can never get back. i loved that leather stitched on the handlebars. it was so... classy... and my really awesome yellow cable housing. that was pimp.

i unlocked my stripped bike and slung over my shoulder and began walking home. a couple minutes later it registered that the fork was gone. the fork?!? come the fuck on! this is my beautiful royal blue motobecane with a beautiful matching royal blue steel fork, and now no fork. front and rear derraileurs were gone too...whatever, that is disposible. but that fork. my cranks were still there. and my kick stand. thanks. i appreciate it. then i looked back at my rear triangle and the whole fucking one side is bashed in. who knows if that can be bent out or if it is even worth it. even the frame is trashed.... i wish the whole bike was just taken so this lovely machine wasn't put in so much misery. it is almost worse carrying home the thing in shambles, wondering if you can even ever make it whole again.

the financial impact of this bike isn't significant. i bought it for $70 in 2005. but it was my first bike with gears. it was the first bike i rode more than 5 miles on. it was also the first bike i rode more than 40 miles on. this was the bike that i commuted on. and it was the bike i discovered bike riding as a form of exercise on. you can go really far on a bike-- like bike to different cities--with your own two legs....way out to castro valley and up redwood road. i did that all the first time on this bike.

so i hope someone likes that pretty blue fork and those handlebars that are laced up with that black leather. and that totally sweet yellow cable housing. but i bet they wish they had the fucking kick stand. i love my kick stand.