first official commuting day... or....thank god for the oregonian bikers

[finallyinpdx]

so i finally picked up a great grizzly single speed (not a fixy- so i guess im unhip ;) ) a few weeks ago and got ready to begin commuting. my commute is around 7 miles one way. it was a good first ride in to the office... then, two miles to the bike shop on lunch, followed by picking up some sushi-to-go at whole foods, then back to the office.
5 oclock came, as did murphys law....
hopped on the bike to go home, chain comes off. dismount, get it on, bam, again, and again. hmmm? lots of slack all of a sudden.
wonderful biker comes up and adjust my tire so the slack is gone, we ride together to the highway then part.
my laptop is digging into my back by now as is something else in my bag... but i roll along, then climb, the coast....
then i go to make my lefty to get home and the brake locks up in the middle of the street... wtf? i leap off the bike (thanks mom for ballet lessons)
grab it and bolt across the street. brake will not come unclenched...
by now im realizing im running out of time to get home, pick up the kid-mobile, and get the kids from their daycare.
another nice oregonian... sort of a distant neighbor, helps me unclench my brake...i roll along down the hill to my house... chain falls off. wtf?!
so... i'll be spending a good few hours in my garage this weekend.
let me say... in all the times i rode in california... ne'er a biker ever stopped to help me (though it was rare that i encountered bike trouble).
cant wait to get back on the bike next week. :)

[nofrills]

Congrats on the new bike! I hope you get it dialed in. I always stop to offer assistance to people that I see broke down on the side of the road. I've also been rescued a few times from potential ride-ending flats. That's Portland for ya'. I've spoken with many out of towners who are absolutely taken aback by how friendly Oregonians are just in general. Welcome to Portland! :)

[tao]

Congrats. Hope you resolve the bike issue soon.

[vseven]

It is the worst bike ethic to pass on by and not offer help, tools etc. for another rider. I change boatloads more flats for others than I do for myself and I am happy to do so ( and give a gentle/subtle lesson in the process.) I hope you get the chain and other testy issues resolved. Hang in there and enjoy the bliss, in celebration of you....pedal safe :)

[finallyinpdx]

thanks all :)
the ironic thing, the guy who sold me the bike saw me biking earlier when i was at whole foods and the bike shop and emailed me. ha!
if only he saw me cursing and covered in grease five hours later...