I'll miss you, my gigantic impractical green bike

So, when I was a kid I never really got a bike. My brother and sister both had them, and sometimes when I was a kid I would ride their old bikes, but I didn't get a new one until Robbie went to college when I was 12. We lived on the side of a mountain, and the only place I could ride was a side street that I had to get to by hauling my bike through my neighbor's VERY steep yard. But finally, when I turned 12, my brother, dad, and I all got pretty decent mountain bikes. Mine was green. I remember insisting that I wasn't going to get a girl's bike. And that if my brother and dad were getting boys bikes, then obviously I would too...

I don't really remember riding my bike that often after I got it. Maybe a few times up on the street above my neighbor's house (but it really was a VERY steep yard that I had to drag my bike through, and they weren't totally psyched about me going through it...). I do remember taking one "mountain biking trip" when I was in high school with the family, plus my friend Katie Rowe and her dad. Super fun. And I do remember loading the bikes up several times onto our massive, impossible -to-correctly-put-on-the-back-of-the-car bike rack to take our bikes down to the river walk for Sunday afternoon bike trips.

But I didn't really appreciate my bike until my junior year of college when my friends Jill, Thankful, and I all moved into our first "grown up" (read: very college) house. We lived about 2 miles from campus, and, as my birthday present at the beginning of that school year, Jill got me a massive (read: the most massive ever) basket for the bike. So I started actually riding it to class. I don't really remember how often. I wish I could say every day, but that would be a big fat lie. I do feel like I rode it several times a week around town - to frisbee, to class, to run an errand. It was great. Super super slow on the hills. Really really heavy (the basket added about 10 pounds). But i trucked along on it and got to where I needed to go.

When I moved to Atlanta in 2005, I brought the bike with me. Honestly, I don't remember riding it hardly at all when I lived in midtown. More often when I moved to Kirkwood. I remember biking to the coffee shop or to game of the week or over to ben's house for a quick game of tennis. And, then, when I moved to the west coast, I made the decision to leave it at my parents' house so i could take lots of unnecessary things with me to the west coast.

And it just sortof sat at my parents' house for 2 years, collecting dust, occasionally being ridden when relatives came into town. I was so excited to find it in Nov 08 when I moved back to Chattanooga. For the 3 months I was in town, I definitely rode it more than i had ridden it since I lived in Chattanooga the last time. I feel like we got seriously reacquainted. And it was lovely.

Spending a year in a biking culture really changes how you look at bikes. To me, I don't really even understand taking a car somewhere if it is bike-able. I don't really think much at all about biking 6-9 km to get to see friends or go to the grocery or get to frisbee (translation: 4-6 miles). So, despite everyone's cynical attitude towards me on a bike in Atlanta (potentially the most car-crazy city in the world), I've been super excited to be back here and attempt to get around with marta and my bike.

it has definitely been a little frustrating at times. Angela and I biked to goaltimate the other night (she was on her road bike. I was on my green, gigantic bike). She would sortof speed ahead without even trying while i was sweating and pedaling as hard as i could. But I didn't really mind. Annoying, but doable. And I definitely enjoyed going to the farmer's market about 4 miles away (despite almost getting run over while I biked there) and filling my bike basket up with lots of lekker treats. And feeling healthy while doing it. And I like biking to get to frisbee. It is a nice warmup and makes me more excited to be there.

So last Wednesday afternoon when I went coffee-shopping, after deciding I couldn't work from home another full day without wanting to kill someone, I went to one of the busiest shopping areas around, locked my bike up, and congratulated myself for getting out of the house on such a cold day. I did have the momentary fleeting thought as I walked closer to the coffee shop, "hmmmm...there is a closer bike rack to the coffee shop that I will be able to see from the window." But I quickly dismissed that idea as paranoia and went in and got a bunch of work done for 3 hours.

(omit paragraph that we all know is coming where I walk out of the coffee shop, round the corner, and am somehow not surprised that my bike is not there).

I mean - the worst part of the story is maybe me running after the cops in the parking lot and asking them what I needed to do once I realized my bike had been stolen. The look of amusement on their faces said, "seriously? do you really think we care little white girl???" They told me i could call and report it and even said, "we'll drive around a look a bit." (gigantic smirks on their faces). Jerks.

I don't think I have ever realized just how violated people feel when something gets stolen from them. I can't really imagine having my house broken into. I feel so frustrated and angry that my little (slash gigantic) bike is gone, and I didn't even get to say bye. We had a long 14 year history together. I loved that bike. I was only beginning to appreciate it. And now it's gone. :(

I went today and picked up my new bike. It's really pretty. It's a hybrid - made for people like me that don't really want to race and also don't want to be on trails. it's light, with sturdy wheels. I can already sortof maneuver it no-handed (well - at least for 30 meters or so before quickly grabbing back on). I feel in control on it. It's really pretty. It has a rack and is way more practical than what I had before. And it's really pretty. It fits me. And one day soon, I'll probably both love it and appreciate it. But it doesn't have a gigantic basket. And I don't have to exert all of my power to get up moderately sized hills. And I think it's going to take me a while to make the change.