3 weeks ago, the bicycle that I planned to ride across the nation was crushed by a very large truck. Thankfully, I was not on the bike at the time. Initially, the damage didn't look detrimental: perhaps just a front fork, a chainring, handlebars and the front wheel. But upon further inspection by professionals, my frame has been determined to be warped and unrepairable. I have no plans of discontinuing my trip. This only means that I will be delayed for a bit while I figure out how I want to go about putting together a new bicycle.
It also means that I will spend more time with family and friends before I depart, that I will learn more about bicycle maintenance before I spend a year on my bicycle, that I will have a opportunities to go river rafting, houseboating, relax for a few days, and attend an art opening for a friend I don't get to see very often. All-in-all, not a bad trade-off for a few hundred bucks worth of repairs and a delay of 2 weeks or so. Plus, this means that I will not be on the road for 4th of July weekend, a notoriously crazy and drunken time to be traveling, especially by bike. Though the crushing of the bike was a pretty tough blow, the world continues to smile on me.
