Just back from Verity's Titanic outing. Alas, she will sail no more, but oh, what glory!
I was in the town square - there are some big stone pillars (I think they're for chaining sacrificial virgins to) and a lovely flat hardpack gravel surface for Doing Civic Things On. I've got Verity - the skip-bike pennyfakething - propped up against the pillar and am dithering over her when a voice comes from behind:
"'Ere mate, is that hard to ride?"
Three kids on their way somewhere, drawn by the very silly bicycle.
"Dunno - I haven't managed it yet! Only just finished it... want a go?"
Half a second later the kid is up the thing like a spider monkey and away! And blow me if Verity don't not only work, but look pretty darn elegant as well! He does half a dozen laps of the square with his mates taking mobile phone pics, absolutely loving it, even getting some flicky little skidettes going on, then gets cocky and takes her to the street.
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On the smooth tarmac all is looking good but then our kid overdraws his account - he bunnies the front wheel up onto the pavement again and the little rear wheel just doesn't want to follow. The whole thing separates gently at the spine-headtube weld and deposits him on his arse in a heap!
Once he gets up, Our Kid is bruised but unbowed - Verity is sadly now a Pennyfakething Separable. The kid and his mates head off to wherever they were going, and I go home with a big stupid grin, two parts of a bike and lessons learned.
Lesson 1: Find the Jackass Generation to test your inventions!
Lesson 2: Weld better.
Lesson 3: Gussets, baby, gussets.
