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). :-(