Big News on the Bike Front

I created this blog July 8th, 2008. It's April 20th, 2009, and I can finally provide an update. There's some pretty big things happening re me getting a bike.

Miyazaki-san is moving back to Japan this week. We became close covering the North Korea issue. We endeared ourselves to each other over beers. And he really sealed the deal by giving me a coat & shoes that no longer fit him. When he told me he was planning to get rid of his bike before he moved, I offered to buy it from him, by which I mean, he's giving it to me this Wednesday. I never told him I didn't really "know" how to "ride" a "bike."

Nine months ago I decided I needed a bike. My friend Aaron was heading to Indonesia, and he agreed to let me borrow his bike during the 4 months he would be gone. I never got around to picking it up. I got a girlfriend who had a car and was conveniently located along a bus route. The bikes that my roommates acquired quickly fell into disrepair. It was fall, then winter. The desire and need diminished.

I didn't think the maxim "just like riding a bike" would apply to me. My dad gave up on getting me past training wheels sometime around age 8. I don't think I cared enough to learn. At 13, I must have changed my mind about that, because I spent a few days the summer before freshman year of high school teaching myself on the same bike (it was a bold yellow, and had an FM radio attached to it, but the name is escaping me). I was shaky at first, and never figured out how to do the "standing up" while riding thing, but it was enough to go for low intensity rides around the neighborhood with friends. Then, all of a sudden, everybody knew how to drive. No one rode bikes until college. Until Friday night, I could honestly say, "I haven't ridden a bike in 10 years."

I arranged to pick up the bike this Wednesday, after work. Miyazaki suggested that we enjoy some beer on the roof of his apartment building, as well. I couldn't not ride the bike home after picking it up. So this past Friday, I had my work cut out for me: by Wednesday, I needed to be able to ride a bike while drunk.