I just went for a leisurely ride around my neighborhood on my new bike. It totally ruled. However, there was a certain feeling of discomfort there, a certain... lack of something; a point of guilt.

On a certain level, I feel like I have betrayed Janet by buying another bike. Allow me to explain.

She and I have been through *so much* together. She was my first real bike (other than the random bike I have in my Dad's attic that I got when I was like seven years old); she was the bike on which I learned to ride city; my first real ride on her was two years ago at Lady K Ride. I still have the tiny bell from that ride tied to her handlebars.

She is the bike on which loxocele taught me how to do a complete overhaul (yay for headset races!). She's the reason I know that in '74, Schwinn was making non-standard tire sizes, so their '74 26x1 3/8 is 9mm larger than a current standard 26x1 3/8 (this is important stuff!).

I've been doored five times on her, gotten caught in in-street Green Line trolley tracks thrice, hit a pedestrian, and been sideswiped, backed-into, and thrown over the trunk of a car on her. I've changed over a dozen flats, replaced the wheels twice, done road-side by-eye wheel truing more times than I can count, and converted her from a five-speed to a single. Each and every single time I've arrived at a destination, I have thanked her (and Copilot, a blue stuffed animal manatee tied to the handlebars) verbally, out loud, regardless of who was around.

I realize how ridiculous it is to anthropomorphize an object to quite this extent, but she's special to me. She's changed my life in more ways than I can fathom, and has been more of a positive influence in my life than nearly any singular person or thing I can remember, save for (unquestionably) my aunt Diane. The second I saw Janet get wheeled into my warehouse (back when I worked receiving at Boomerangs) I fell in love; she made me *want* to better myself, to do something other than sit around all the time. She was the impetus I needed to begin learning how to better my health, my drive, my outlook on life, my dedication to a task at hand; it goes on.

I guess it just feels somehow wrong that I was out having fun on a new, unknown, unnamed Stranger Bike (not even a chopper!) while Janet was locked, alone (Copilot is in my bag), to a sign post in Allston. *sigh*

I think about things too much.

dropkickatari and I walked Janet (my old bike) from the crash site in Allston to Cambridge Bikes on Mass. Ave. today.

As it turns out, Janet was totaled in the crash. The fork is busted, the frame is slightly bent, the wheels are trashed, the entire braking system is trashed. All in all, repairs to get that '74 Schwinn Sport Collegiate back in working order would run be somewhere between $600-800.

Therefore:

I am now the owner of a brand new 2007 SE Lager.

I customized the handlebars (I can't stand bullhorns), increased the rear cog from 16 to 18, and replaced the toe clips with clipless (I know I'm wasting energy; I just can't freakin' stand being clipped in). The rear hub is a flip-flop (for when I *really* go hipster and decide to train myself fixie) and all I need now are some grips (because I didn't like the ones at the shop, so I rode home gripless and it was annoying in this heat).

Janet is now locked to a street sign in Cambridge, and I will need to find some kind soul with a car willing to pick up Janet from Cambridge and transport her back to my home in Brighton. Bribes of beer are on the table.

Even still, all in all, that's not a bad day, especially on someone else's dime. I rule.