Bike Troubles

I was heading to Kyoto over the past weekend for a party with a couple old Kyoto University friends and a bunch of their friends as well. I planned my trip out, figuring out exactly which trains to take to get there on time and it was all perfect, until I stepped outside that is.

To my surprise, I found my bike tire completely flat. I tried pumping it up, but could easily hear the air escaping. I ran back inside checking the bus schedule. Next bus at 3:15, what time is it now, 3:16. Damn. Even if the bus is a couple minutes late, which it generally is, I couldn't make it even running full out. The next bus wouldn't be around for another hour or so either. So, with my options exhausted I did the only thing I could. Walk 6 km to the train station. Sure I'd be late for my train, and ultimately late for my meeting, and perhaps I could have ran or taken a taxi, but I checked the train schedules on my phone and found out I could take another train that would only have me arriving 10 minutes after I was supposed to meet. I didn't want to be all sweaty, and spending 3000 yen on a taxi so I wouldn't be 10 minutes late wasn't an attractive option either, so I just hoofed it. I figured the return trip would be good exercise after and all you can eat/drink party as well.

Turns out I ended up staying out all night. I took the bus home in the morning and slept till 2 in the afternoon which messed up my sleeping schedule for a couple days, but that's a different story. This one is about the bike.

A couple of days ago I took my bike to the repair shop and got my tire patched. It was riding fine when I rode to the station the yesterday again going to Kyoto, this time to see Masahiro who is back from Hong Kong for a while, as well as Aki and Asumi. I come back last night just after midnight and find my bike tire once again flat. Dead tired, and fed up I started to walk home when the tire fell of the rim completely. I put the bike back in the lot at the train station, left the key in it and found a taxi.

I knew the thing was on its last legs. Recently the chain had been falling off a fair bit (once or twice a week) and it's considerably rusted. I figured I could hold on to it until the chain rusted through and snapped, but the tire was just the final straw. Two times in one week. Unacceptable. So I'm gonna have to break down and get a new bike now. Not that it's a real hefty expense or anything. Considering the old bike was here when I got here, I've got my share of free rides out of it anyway. Better to have a new bike I can depend on so I don't end up having to take any surprise expensive taxi rides back home in the middle of the night.