Monday, July 16, 2007

Bicycling blunders.
or: "How to Go On a Bicycle Ride in Lund," by Linnea.

Step #1: Gear up in spandex, grab your bicycle, leave your dorm, and proceed to nearest bicycle path.

Obstacle: A finicky derailleur and yucky noises when you shift gears. A trip to the bike shop reveals a bent derailleur hanger. (Non-cycling folks: there's no need to Google bike mechanics. Just know that this was a bad way to start my bicycle ride.) Solution? A $25 fix at the bike shop.

Step #2:Proceed, once again, to the nearest bike path and look for a nice road on the outskirts of Lund.


Obstacle: Get lost in random neighborhood. Solution? Take a picture of the Harry Potter movie poster in Swedish (this one is for you, Aunt Barbie!) and keep riding. You'll get there somehow.


Step #3: Find a gosh darn street that gets you OUT of the city and into the beautiful countryside and endless open road.

Obstacle: Bike path dead ends into a four-lane highway.


And yet another obstacle: Bike path dead ends into a random street.


Step #4: Abandon the concept of riding your bike for real exercise. Instead, toodle around Lund and enjoy the nice weather, take pictures of slides, the Swedish countryside, and bike paths, all while attempting to take silly self-portraits.



Obstacle: The self-timer function is really hard to use, especially when you don't have a good tripod.


Step #5: Return home. Decide that tomorrow's ride will be much better (and include the use of a map).

Obstacle: Treacherous mechanical discovery -- faulty chain ring bolts (one is missing and one is loose.)


Step #6: Shove bike in the corner and wait until Max gets to Sweden in August (or until I have the energy to go to the bike shop again... whichever comes first). :-(

8 comments:

Atom Salad said...

Well, hilarious reading (to me) but I guess not so funny to you. I particularly cracked up (sorry!) when the bike lane dead-ended into a four-lane highway. That would definitely put a damper on the training regime.

Hey, Max, looks like you to include an entire bicycle repair kit in your luggage allowance!

Toodling around Lund sounded like an OK alternative, at least for today.

Keep on ridin'
Mom

Linnea said...

Don't worry, it hasn't put me off cycling for good... it was an adventure, to say the least!

Barbie Fiske-Phillips said...

Hey Linnea!
Thanks for the mention in your blog...I feel like I'm famous!!!!!!

Sarah has less than a week to go in CR. Maybe I'll be ready for her to do a semester away in a number of years, but no time soon!!! I love "reading you" and staying connected!! You write and photograph so well!

Carlotosway said...

Have you been following the Tour at all?

I've got it on season pass on my tivo and watch as much as I can. Pretty cool stuff, though i wish you were here to help me with some of the strategy.

For example, why do some riders break away from the peloton even though they know they'll be caught?

Also, why do all the American riders suck?? We need Max in this race!

EB said...

Despite the difficulty of that ride, I'm still jealous of the possibilities open to you, what with daylight lasting until 11pm and all. What I wouldn't give to be able to train for hours after work!

Unknown said...

Horray for cycling blunders! Don't worry as atheletes we all have them. By the time I'm done training for this 1/2 marathon, I'm sure I'll have a few of my own too. At least you can laugh at the situation--reminds me of all those good stories freshman year. "I was out riding today and..."

Atom Salad said...

Hey, what's up? Reading Harry Potter instead of blogging? Did you hear what happens on page 253? haha
Mom

Linnea said...

Carl -- I have been following the tour. I get to watch it LIVE here in Sweden, which is pretty cool. I must say, even I am lost without Max to commentate. I can explain about breakaways later on... but basically it is something that almost always happens on the flat-ish stages and there is a strategy behind it.

Panda -- the light is GLORIOUS! Even after being here for a month, I still lose track of the time and before I know it, it's 10PM (and still fairly bright outside). It's great for riding, but it really messes with your eating/sleeping schedule.

Mom -- you know me so well.