Decisions, Decisions

[evilhippo]

I have a bit of a dilemma. Now that it's warm miserably hot out, I've found that there are a lot of good reasons for me to be riding my bicycle constantly on the weekends. (Most of these reasons involve me not having air conditioning, but having a lovely 60-degree lake a few blocks away to swim in.) Unfortunately, on my most recent bike ride I discovered, among other things I already knew were wrong, that I basically have no brakes. So, I've resolved to get my bike fixed. It's just, now that I'm actually looking into things, I'm going to have to fix more than the brakes if I want to actually be able to ride my bike comfortably. And, ideally, if I'm fixing up my bike, I may as well aim to be able to ride it back and forth to work for the spring/summer/fall months (I've been meaning to do this for a while now, anyway). Unfortunately, it looks like I'm going to have to realign and replace my brakes, replace the nobbly mountain bike tires with street tires (no doubt the biggest expense), and fix whatever is wrong with the shifters (a minor annoyance, really, but if I'm fixing everything else...) It looks like the tires alone are going to cost me more than it would to just buy a proper (very used) commuting sort of bicycle (... and if I do this, the biggest plus I see is that I could get one that's significantly lighter than my current bike. The absolute worst thing in the world is coming back from downtown (which is about 7 miles away) and having to lug this huge mass of uncooperative bicycle up my narrow stairs). So, I'd just replace my current bike with a shiny new used one... except I've had my current bike since about sixth grade. I was 12 in 6th grade, and I'm 24 now, which means I've had this bike for exactly half of my life. My emotional attachment to things that I've had for more than a few years (remember I couldn't give up my old iPod because it'd stuck by me for four years) is pretty terrible, so giving up this bicycle is going to be really tough. Even if it costs me as much to fix as a new bike (and I do love new toys). So... If you were me...

[Poll #1421263]

Comments

[look-alive.livejournal.com]

I'd say Craigslist a new one. Or, an old new one. Since they can be so conveniently cheap that way. But then, if you have room to keep the old one, too, then dude totally do it.

I miss having a bike. Rawr.

[evilhippo.livejournal.com]

I tried Craigslist, but since I have no idea of what I'm specifically looking for, most of what's there looks hipsterish and overpriced. I'm hoping to find something interesting down here at the one neighborhood bike shop that doesn't charge $100/hour for service (... because it's staffed at least partially by kids who are working to earn their own bikes, but hey, that's cool with me).

[look-alive.livejournal.com]

Where the hell were you going that they were trying to charge you $100/hr for service? That's ridiculous. I mean, unless you're what's his name, the crazy famous bike guy. I just wanted to say Neil Armstrong, lol, and I know that isn't right.

I want to get a bike, but Ange's bike takes up most of the shed on the porch, and my garden takes up the porch itself, so I don't know where I'd put it. Someone a couple of buildings over has theirs on hooks attached to their porch overhang.

OH OH HEY. Dude. Did you see the Avatar live action trailer?

[evilhippo.livejournal.com]

Yeaaaah. He's French, and apparently mostly custom-builds racing bikes. Which, no doubt, is why all of the rich UofC kids around here love to have him fix their bikes. (I would probably pay $100 to have Neil Armstrong fix my bike, but only once. And I'm not sure whether he'd do a good job. Same goes for Lance Armstrong.)

Well, I keep mine in the kitchen. I used to keep it on the back porch, but I needed room for my plants, and there's really nothing to lock it to. I can't imagine the fire code excitement if you hung your bike up in your garden. (Do it! It'd be awesome. ^_^)

No! I had no idea it existed until just now. It needs more Appa.

[look-alive.livejournal.com]

Wow, I totally remembered replying to this last night, lol. OOPS.

Lance Armstrong! That's the one! Ha. Neil Armstrong might be more entertaining to watch. Especially if he was ON THE MOON. While doing it. Yeah.

My apartment is so full of stuff. It doesn't look that way, but it is. All those suitcases I got in Chicago me and Angela decided to keep, so they're stuffed into a closet and take up nearly the whole thing. There is a chance I could keep a bike in the outside shed thing. It's like, a closet that's just attached to the porch. I keep all my gardening stuff in there, Ange keeps her bike in it, and then we have a lot of knocked-down cardboard boxes from moving. We've been very good about hoarding moving supplies, which is ironic as this if the first June I can remember that I haven't been gearing up to move somewhere different. I adore my apartment.
And yeah, if I can find a way to rig a bike up on the rafters outside, I sooo will. Bite me, fire marshalls.

Doesn't it need more Appa, though?! I'm really pleased with the casting on the whole, however. ...Although, the guy playing Sokka is in the Twilight movie, so that's... hilarious.