It has been almost a year since my last Cycling Dude blog post, about a ride along Memorial Dr..
A lot has happened since then most importantly, for this recreational cyclist and bike commuter, not only did my trusty steed keep getting flats, but other issues were catching up with her.
It has been several months since I last took her for a spin.
Do bicycles have personality, "voices", a soul?
The answer, based on reality, is... of course not, silly, what you been smokin'?
I, however, being a creative writer, one who often dabbles in fiction and gives "voice" to cats and other creatures, beg to say otherwise.
On a cool, breezy, clear day such as one last week I long have been known to take my bike for jaunts along streets and on bike trails, for anywhere from 10 to 70 miles a trip.
On this particular day, however, I took my longest-serving cycling companion for one last journey.
We stopped at a local Krogers, the scene of her greatest Houston triumph, so I could get the newspaper and some chunky chicken noodle soup to help me nurse a cold.
We then headed over to a Jack in the Box for lunch.
It was there where I wrote much of this piece (to be edited and made ready for posting later) with sadness in my heart, but also with pride and love.
Cleopatra, as I called her, my queen of the road, has been my ride since my last few years in Pomona, Ca., around the turn of the century, after when I got my first computer and adopted my original feline creative muse, Nikita, but before I relocated to Orange County, discovered a talent for poetry and began to write blogs (1998 - 2001), including The Cycling Dude (2003-10).
Along with my cat this premium aluminum hybrid road bike was responsible for transporting me to a rebirth of creativity that had too long lain dormant.
Bought at Competitive Edge, in Upland, Ca., for $700, a Specialized Sirrus Sport Hybrid bike, built for commuting and long adventures on the open road and bike trails she could haul ass, speed-wise, with the best bikes on the market and her body held up until the summer of 2010 when her front fork broke and had to be replaced.
We have been through a lot together, from troubling encounters with motorists, a few solo mishaps, to flats that left us a good walk to the nearest bus stop.
From group rides, with bike clubs or thousands of fellow cyclists at annual events, solo rides along PCH and the streets of 5 counties, the narrow roads of the San Gabriel and Santa Monica Mountain ranges, and rides along SoCal's 3 major river bike trails and the OC's Mountain to the Sea Trail (the newbie to the roster) we moved on, in 2012, to Houston where we began to explore the streets and bayou trails of our new home town.
We have saddled up together to explore the world around us and we saddled up to review new products, books and even an important documentary (where I met several cycling legends and took a spin around the local area). I performed a pair of speaking engagements, was quoted in a book, quoted and interviewed, and had essays printed in (and even ignored by) local newspapers, in the Inland Empire, Orange County, and, now, Houston.
I became an outspoken advocate for safe cycling and exposed Critical Mass for the sham and radical menace that it has always been to a mostly ill-informed cycling community.
We saddled up for encounters with cats and other critters of the streets, forests, parks and bayous.
As one of the first bike blogs the Cycling Dude inspired other cyclists to take up blogging and I am proud of being responsible for adding new voices to the online discussion.
This bike inspired me to great works of poetry and other creative writing, including a piece praised by the musical legend whose original work I took my cue from.
As I wrote, at the beginning, it has been several months since I last took her for a spin.
From a flat to tires, wheels, gears and chain in need of replacing, new headlights and rear lights, and a complete physical check and overhaul the fix would cost me $400, maybe more.
I will buy a new one, someday, when I can afford to do so, and get back on the road, exploring Houston and Harris County for my health, and creativity.
After some thought I concluded that the time was right to retire Cleopatra from the life of work commute transport that mostly has been her lot since we moved here 2 years ago and give her a chance to find new purpose as parts someone could use or as a rescued and refurbished steed for someone who could fix her up nice, like she deserved, and get her back on the road and trail.
Tossing her in a dumpster was not an option up for discussion.
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So, after lunch, I took her on the bus to the nearest Goodwill Donation Center where I patted her on the saddle, gave her a loving kiss good-bye, and moved on.
At some point, next year (I hope), I will saddle up with a new bike under my butt and a new era in my life as a cyclist, cycling advocate and sometime bike blogger, will begin.
Let me end this tribute with the story of her greatest Houston triumph, a story that I should have shared in April, when it occurred, but I somehow forgot to do so...
The parking lot security for my local Krogers Market long had a nasty habit of parking their cart, for recharging, in such a way as to block access to the bike rack...
As you can imagine this was a problem....
One day, when I had my camera on me, I decided to do something about the situation.
I went inside and asked to speak to a manager.
I asked the manager to come outside and asked if he noticed anything.
It took a few seconds but he noticed Cleopatra, hee, hee!
It took some prodding but he finally was able to see what prompted her act of protest.
Promises were made to make sure the rack would not be blocked.
Several more trips to the store led to more acts of protest by Cleopatra, chats with other managers who also needed prodding to see what the problem was, other than a bicycle lounging in the seat of a security cart, and more promises that were not kept.
I made the point that this wasn't just about me, but other customers who ride bikes as well, including small or large groups out for a ride and might want to stop by for drinks and snacks while on a ride, and that something needed to be done.
Finally, I met with the store manager who told me that a new security company was being hired, one with a different type of cart.
I would like to think that my bit of persistent activism played a role in the change, but will never know.
I do know that they found my activities and offbeat way of asking them to tell me if they noticed anything unusual and patiently explaining to them that their answers were wrong and why, annoying, hee, hee!
As you can see in the latest photo, from our last journey together, they DID hire a company with a different, smaller, more practical, cart and the officers responsibly park it so as not to block access to the bike rack.
Loved this post! Had no idea bikes were so expensive! You are witty and descriptive as ever. Thank you for adding so much detail and character to this lively story! I am confused, though. I assumed you used your bike out of necessity to get to work, but now I see that you don't. If you had a bike now, would it improve your work commute?
Posted by: SocciWriter | February 05, 2015 at 09:04 PM
Thank you, Amanda, my friend, for the comment.
This bike was a moderately priced bike, sold in bike shops, not Big Box stores.
The quality is better.
Bikes sold in bike shops are a different breed and can cost 2 to 4 times what I paid for this one, believe it or not.
I am a sometimes bike commuter and frequent recreational cyclist who, in years past, has enjoyed bike rides of 20 to 66 miles on a day off, sharing those adventures on my blogs.
Bike commuting to/from work has sometimes been a necessity, due to lack of funds for a bus pass, but mostly it has been a choice just for the exercise, scenery and sometime creative inspiration that might occur.
In my current situation I am close to a bayou bike trail that goes by my work...The bike ride would take almost the same amount of time as the bus and save me from using my bus card once or even twice a day.
Posted by: Kiril Kundurazieff | February 05, 2015 at 09:33 PM