Let me start out with a personal fact. I was born in Indiana, therefore I hate mulberry trees. In Indiana they are prosperous. Growing anywhere and everywhere they can. The berries kill the grass and fill the birds with bright purple bird shit that stains everything.
I spent a good portion of last weekend removing a particularly annoying mulberry tree. Cursing and laughing as I widdled and chopped, and eventually the tree was transformed into nice bundles at the curb awaiting removal. Oh happy day.
Fast forward to this past Friday, I was making my way home in the rain, approaching one of the wooden bridges spanning Sligo Creek. The wood was wet so I slowed a bit. I was steady and holding my line across the slick wood. When I neared the far end of the bridge, my bike slipped out from under me and I went down hard. I landed on a piece of metal that covers the bridge seam, on my ass, with one leg in the air and the other under the bike. I leaped up and proceeded to hop and dance around in a small circle trying not to yell as I cursed "fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck son of a bitch fuck fuck fuck". Finally the pain subsided and I assessed the damage. I wasn't bleeding too bad and my shorts were not torn so I went to check on the bike. It slipped out so fast that the impact with the ground sheered off the drive side pedal (recently rebuilt) bending its axle and mashing up the crank threads.
ouch...
I was a bit surprised that I went down so hard and fast. I've crossed that bridge a hundred times before in all types of weather and never had a problem. Upon inspection of the bridge I realized it wasn't the wet wood that took me out. It was a thin coating of rotten mulberries that turned that end of the bridge into a lubricous death trap. Touché mulberry tree... touché...
Now down to business.
This Saturday there is a bike swap in Silver Spring behind the Bicycle Place. Now I know I have talked about this swap meet before but I think we need to revisit the subject. If you don't show up to buy and sell bike parts at this thing it's going to continue to be mediocre. I am talking to you, blessed reader. You have some bike parts that you have been saving for way too long. It's time to cash them in. Bring a blanket to the parking lot behind the Bicycle Place at 9am this Saturday the 13th, put said parts on the blanket, read a book. Someone will probably approach you and want to give you money. Or just show up with a few bucks and maybe you'll score that bike part you didn't know you couldn't live without. Either way it's not a bad way to spend the morning. Also, Bikes For The World is usually there accepting bike donations.
Don't be a wanker.
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