20/20 Hindsight

This bicycle was my twelfth birthday present, bought primarily for the purposes of the Year 7 linear park bike hike later in that year, as my previous bike had become too small and had no gears. This bike and I did many things together, though for a substantial portion of my teens it was sadly under-used. Most of the memories have been good - but not all. Its original back wheel was taken out by a car strike, and the pedals were replaced after a stack in which my sister broke her arm. Actually... The pedals were replaced the same day it was hit by a car. The new pedals did survive though- the damage was easily fixed and it was up and about again. I was riding it again only three weeks later though I still had trouble from the injured ankle for more than a year.

However even at this point I'd been putting off getting another bike - and a year ago I faced the reality that I've outgrown the bike and an extended seat post does not equal a bicycle suitable for a taller person than my twelve-year-old self.

I was going to take this bike for one last ride today, but unfortunately in the last year the front inner tube has progressed from a slow leak to absolutely kaputt.

So tomorrow this bicycle is off to a new home, and at some point, a new rider. I hope they make many memories with it too. But hopefully not of the hit-by-a-car variety.