wheels

Just paid a 50 euro deposit at Rothar for a hybrid/road bike they are going to rebuild for me. Frame is rusty and old but the rest of it will be fine and in working order. Cost: 165 euro, plus a 45 euro lock to keep it from getting stolen--total of 210 euro.

Pricey, for me. but you know what? I want a bike, and I want a decent bike for the first time in my life, rather than a stupid cheap wal*mart mountain bike or a 1-speed cruiser that I have to walk up hills. I could wait indefinitely for someone to sell a decent bike on gumtree (Irish craigslist) for cheap, or I can support a cool nonprofit bike shop in town and have a bike in 10 days. A bike that I know works and has a month of guaranteed servicing on it.

I've decided that I'm going to start biking out into greater Dublin on a regular basis, especially out to the sea. And I may take the bike on the bus eirann (for a little extra fee) so that I can explore other parts of Ireland on my bike as well. More of the country will be accessible to me this way, and it means less time spent walking from site to site if I take a day/weekend trip out anywhere.

Besides, as far as my health goes, the only time I truly and remarkably feel WELL is when I'm out walking. I don't feel the fatigue and headaches that settle in when I'm sitting still. So I walk for hours. Why not ride for hours and see more of the city and the country while I am at it?

I'm going to work myself up to a 17 km ride out to Howth light house. Then, who knows.

Next order of business is to buy a helmet, which I can get in a bike shop on parnell street, he said. Then a high-visibility vest (I know where I can get one for free).

I'm kinda excited now. Next Thursday I'll call them back ~



(plus, this is all gonna be paid for just from my paychecks since I got here. I haven't been able to rebuild my savings yet, but I haven't been spending from my savings since I got my first paycheck--except for medical supplements from time to time.)