In Which The Beast Becomes Your Beast of Burden

The kind of day it was. Looking towards Warde Hall from porch of Lundy, where The Beast was chained during my piano lesson. Picture perfect Iowa summer day.

Hope that started an ear worm for you. You’re welcome.

I didn't follow the plan that I outlined yesterday. I did not ride Fancy Bike to my piano lesson. Two granddaughters came over to stay with my wife and I today, and I didn't end up with time to tighten Fancy Bike’s brakes, and I won’t ride that bike until I can more effectively stop that wild mustang.

So the quick trip to MMU was via The Beast. I’m more at peace with The Beast—partly because I raised the seat some more, and that helps a bit. And I think I’m just growing acclimated to The Beast. I don’t know what the extended stay of Francis in the bike shop will do to my biking plans—I’m not sure I’m willing to use Fancy Bike on the Raccoon River Ride, and I’m hesitant to use The Beast.

Then again—it’s what, 50 miles or so? Hmmm. Maybe I’ll try a longer ride (with bike shorts on) and see if it’s possible to push The Beast that far.

Today’s ride was very pleasant, a beautiful, sunny, buggy, muggy, warm Iowa summer day. It was the first time I used bug repellent as well as sunscreen. The trip to and from campus was uneventful save for some road construction. I got home around 2:30 to find that my wife had left to pick up a third granddaughter from kindergarten.

She texted me and said granddaughter number two, my usual biking buddy, was balking at returning home while the wife did “girls’ day out” with the oldest granddaughter. I don’t have the front little kid seat when I don’t have Francis (I could not attach the support bar to The Beast due to its frame configuration—no room in front to attach the bar to—and even if I could, which I doubt, I wouldn’t dare put any intrusive hardware on Fancy Bike). However, we do have a bike trailer. And the hitch fit well on my wife’s bike, which is a Schwinn mountain bike. The Beast too is a Schwinn mountain bike.

What if I switched the hitch from wife’s bike to The Beast and took biking buddy granddaughter on a ride that way?

Well, the details were quickly ironed out. It was t work of 15 minutes or so to swatch the hitch, and honestly it only took that long because much of time was spent digging the trailer out of the garage. The hitch switch was quick and slick—without a hitch, one could say.

I'll always be your Beast of burden. I've biked for miles, my butt is hurting.I'll always, always, always, always be. Ain't I rough enough? Who-hoo. Ain't I tough enough? Who-Hoo.

I do prefer the front seat. I also prefer the bike attached to the front seat. Sooner or later, and I vote for sooner, Francis will be back.

But, again, let’s give The Beast some credit. I can again offer bike rides to grandchildren. And that’s a grand thing.

Mid-ride, the drone of The Beast's tires and the heat of the day--plus her failure to take a nape earlier due to antics of her younger sister--and this little 3-year-old is enjoying a snooze while grandpa pedals. She woke up in a good mood, but then again we were at a fast-food  restaurant to get ice cream, which could brighten anybody's mood.