Well, one, anyway.
We can skip the heavy metal, major leather, tattoo extravaganza biker-types (Not that I have anything against such displays, mind you) I just need somebody to show me how to adjust my tricycle. I purchased this beauty last summer because riding my regular two-wheeler was becoming an exercise in scary balance issues and I just sort of gave it up. Still wanted to be able to wheel around town, so I got myself over to THE bike shop over in Stow–Eddie’s–and looked over the merch. There was plenty.
Every shiny color one could imagine…seats of various designs (Some looked absolutely torturous. Are there really people built like that?)…gears up the ying-yang…accessories fit for the Tour de France…tires with tread designs and safety features which looked like modern art. There were tall bikes and tricycles, low-slung ones (Reclining while pedalling did not appeal to me), ones with more gears than I have brains (We’re talkin’ triple digits, here, sports fans.).
There was also a very nice salesperson who let me wander around (He clearly understood that he had a ”live one” here and if he would just bide his time, I would buy something in any case. Which, of course, I did. Not to mention the other merch, like the helmet, which I always wear. Even if it does look kinda dorky–not taking any chances with whatever brains I have left.
I kind of wanted something fluorescent but had to settle for a bright blue, which I figured would show up nicely, should I ever wheel myself into a ditch anywhere. It is now outfitted with a “slow-moving vehicle” placard, a tall orange flag and a bell–brrring-brrring– in addition to the basket on the back which allows me to haul groceries and bird seed and other miscellaneous items like books from the library, around town. You will not likely see me anywhere far from home, since (a) I am not really very brave about highway travel in a tricycle, and (b) that sucker is kinda heavy to be talking about cross-country jaunts. The seat is comfortable though (I do keep looking for my seat belt, even if there isn’t one)
So what’s the problem, you say? Well, the trike has three gears–simple, 1.2.3–but switching from one to another is giving me difficulty…and no matter what gear I am in, the chain keeps slipping…and making ominous clicking sounds when more effort is required. How’m I supposed to get started on training for a road trip, if I can’t even get the gears to work?
So…any bikers out there to give me a hand with the recalcitrant gears? Even better, show me what I can do to avoid the problem returning? I could pay you off in chocolate chip cookies; they’re really biker-friendly.
