Karma Chamelion

Something bad and good happened to me yesterday. I feel both annoyed, yet relieved at the same time.

I had my bike up at work and I thought I’d take it for a ride in the sun for once before putting it in my car to take it back home — long story, but I had to stay late the other day after riding in and a coworker gave me a lift home so I left my bike at the office.

So after work, I went riding around Seminary Drive up here in Mill Valley/Belvedere (btw- I keep mistyping Belvedere as Bulverde. . . ) and I got a flat. Sucked. I did have my patch kit with me although the spare tube was in my backpack back at work.

I managed to get the wheel off and tube out pretty quickly – mostly due to my old experience of trying to keep up with Jeff and Bart oh so long ago in my recreational bike days of yore. But the patches didn’t seem to hold on to the tube and plug the two leaks. I guess I didn’t sandpaper it enough or wait long enough for the glue.

As I realized it wouldn’t hold some road racer types rolled up and checked on me. They were on fancy bikes that cost more than my civic but were having problems on the same hill I did. Anyway, one of them offered me a tube and I offered to give him some cash for it.

He said, “Nah man, it won’t fit exactly on your bike, but take it anyway, it’ll get you back to your car at least. And I don’t want cash, it’s just good karma.”

Shit, that means I have to be nice for a while, because I certainly didn’t deserve the good karma (remember, I’m an asshole). So no making fun of the honkys in Mill Valley or Tiburon for a month or yuppies on pricey roadbikes for at least two months. But I’ll still make fun of volvo drivers, I can’t stop that.