losing a pedal

The good news -- it wasn't my own bike.

The bad news -- it was Hubby's bike, on Sunday, while we were riding together along the river. 

We had reached Rossdale and were preparing to rejoin the riverside trail, when Hubby announced he had to pull over at the first convenient spot. We stopped and he showed me his pedal, dangling from the post at a most awkward angle. At least it was the pedal and not his arm or leg or head. But it did mean that our ride was interrupted and we had to walk from 96 Avenue down at the bottom of the hill to MEC, about 4.5 km away. I did ride up the hill to 107 Street, something I've always wanted to try, but then we walked together across the Legislature grounds over to Ezio Faraone Park before heading north on 112 Street. At MEC they gave us the bad news: they couldn't fix the bike right then and there.

So, I rode to the car and drove back down to pick up Hubby and his disabled bike.

Until that time, it had been a good ride. It was a beautiful day, all too rare in these parts. 

We rode through Laurier Park and Hawrelak Park and up Emily Murphy Hill in front of the U of A. This was a first. Not only was it the first time I'd ridden up that hill; it was the first time I'd seen the Uni from that side. I'd always considered the campus to be kind of ugly, but it looks quite nice from that vantage point.

Our plan was to ride to Capilano bridge, but we'll have to keep that road for another day, as the poet says, knowing that we will surely be back. 

Strangely enough, as we walked our bikes to MEC, we saw a guy fixing his chain, another guy changing a flat and a third guy walking his bike because he had problems with his derailleur. Apparently we were not the only ones whose ride was thwarted.