Until we’re re-united

I left my green fixie in Vancouver.

 

Along with my heart.

 

 It’s true, life is about compromises. I have a good job. Emily has a good job. The former in Bakersfield,

the latter in Vancouver.

We both like our jobs (most of the time), they are challenging and rewarding. We recognized that living 1200 miles apart was, possibly, less than ideal.

 

We also recognized that we wanted to be together, and that eventually we will be together. We decided not to sweat the details, we eloped, damn the geographical difficulties.

After a brief period apart, Emily (and the boys) worked remotely from Bakersfield for 10 weeks.

Ten wonderful weeks that was an affirmation of our decision to spend our lives together. Our similarities, common ideals, mutual respect and love, that had been apparent to us was now visible to everyone that saw us together.

 

A common thread of our lives together has been riding bikes, which is how we met ten years ago. Although, she did think it peculiar (to put it lightly) that I chose to ride a single speed, frequently rigid. She saw my Walt, and pointedly called it nice, in a utilitarian sort of way. But, sometimes Enlightenment comes with minimal encouragement. After a few rides together, me on my utilitarian one-geared bicycle without suspension, and Em on her Specialized Enduro (5 inches of cush, and 27 gears), she noted that I always rode with a wide smile under my helmet. She was smiling too, woohooing it up, riding anything that Kern had to offer. Then, it happened, she asked if she could try my Walt. My utilitarian bike without shifters. Of course I let her ride it although I did soften her intro to the higher calling by throwing a Reba on the front.

And she was hooked.

She rode it for weeks, she raced it twice (including her first 12 hour race)

 

I knew that I had to check her bags when she returned to Vancouver. How could I survive if she and my Walt were 1200 miles away (sounds like a bad country song, or maybe a good alt-country song). Accompanying her excitement to discover the joys of singlespeeding, her curiosity was also piqued by riding fixies. The Green Beast fit her well, I converted my Rat Ride, and we cruised around town on fixies. Hipster wannabes on the weekends, bicycle of choice for after work trips to the climbing gym or yoga.

 

Too late for long story/short, but while my beloved Walt remained in Bako, the Green Beast now resides north of the 49^th. Rebuilt earlier this year, it is now resplendent with new cranks, a new bottom bracket, new wheels, and now a functioning brake!!!!

The guys at Obsession Bikes even included a matching green cable end.

 

for the next few months, I’ll have to drop in on FluorineTRex site to catch of glimpse of the green beastie. Climbing bridges. Racing redlights. Grinding through the rain.  prepping for the BC Bike Race.