Typically we should make troublesome selections that run opposite to our feelings, if not the very fiber of our being. That is mirrored in our artwork, to wit:
Additionally, in “The Proficient Mister Ripley,” Matt Damon completely doesn’t need to kill his new boyfriend, however he does it anyway and so he sobs the entire time he’s strangling him to loss of life:
Then in fact there’s that “Simpsons” episode the place Homer should eat his pet lobster:
Nicely, life imitated artwork this previous weekend as I took my cherished Litespeed out again and gave it a cleansing:
See how its titanium tubing sparkles within the crepuscular mild? This could have been a contented event, however in reality I used to be like Travis in “Previous Yeller:”
No, the Litespeed had not acquired bike rabies after getting bitten by a kind of Amazon e-bikes or one thing. In truth, it was in positive fettle, and really a lot had its complete life forward of it:
However, shortly after taking the picture above I packed it right into a field, and by the point you’re studying this it would in all probability be en path to Traditional Cycle from whence it got here again in 2019. They are saying titanium is perpetually, however in my case it seems “perpetually” means about 5 years.
So why would I rid myself of such a positive bicycle? Nicely, in my little world that is the Yr of Pairing Down, and since divesting myself of a number of bicycles I’ve not too long ago discovered myself confronting the truth that I used to be nonetheless over-road biked, with 4 (4) of them remaining. So one in all them, I concluded, must go.
However which?
It couldn’t be the Milwaukee, which is just too versatile:
It couldn’t be the Cervino, as a result of whether or not it’s a classic convertible or a lugged Italian highway bike with Tremendous File, each middle-aged man with thinning hair wants a basic for parading round on Sundays:
And it couldn’t be the Faggin, because it was my spouse’s bike and we now have numerous fond recollections of it, so that might be like eliminating our marriage ceremony album:
And since we don’t actually have a marriage ceremony album that’s all of the extra motive to maintain it.
Oh, there’s additionally the Normcore Bike, however that doesn’t depend because it’s now my elder son’s bike:
In order that left the Litespeed:
Objectively it’s ridiculous to do away with such a positive bicycle, nevertheless it feels nearly wasteful to have a motorcycle like this and never trip it on a regular basis as a substitute of solely among the time as I do now. Not too way back I attempted to handle this purchase giving it to my elder son, however at this level he has no actual want for a flowery bike you’ll be able to’t lock up exterior, which is why he now rides the Normcore Bike. So again to Traditional Cycle it goes.
For those who assume I’m making an enormous mistake, you’re in all probability proper. In truth I’m positive you could possibly reap the benefits of that mistake by shopping for the bike for your self, so attain out to Paul at Traditional Cycle (or to me if you happen to like middlemen) and I wager we may make that occur.
As for me, it’ll be bizarre to be and not using a trendy highway bike with built-in shifters and stuff, although I may simply throw a pair on the Milwaukee at any time. Plus, with respect to the Faggin, regardless of its light paint and its rusty chrome and hodge-podge of elements it seems the bike is improbable, and I can’t consider I waited this lengthy to steal it from my spouse. Usually if I have been heading over the George Washington Bridge to affix the Parade of Freds I’d look to the Litespeed, however the Faggin is more than pleased to imagine that function, as I discovered yesterday:
What I didn’t discover out was why the this map features a diagram of the male reproductive system:
Possibly it’s a PSA about bicycle saddles and numbness.
