About a month ago I generously received a free bike to use at my leisure in San Francisco. I was excited because that meant I could a) get around without having to walk everywhere, b) save money by not taking the bus, and c) get some exercise that doesn’t involve me walking uphill 30 min to my car. Today was the first day I tested the bike out after securing a dorky looking helmet. We only rode a couple of blocks before I went over the manhole that Abe avoided, and BAM, the basket flew off the bike. Just to clarify my ride, I received a cruiser that belonged to my friend’s mom. It has no gears, I have to back pedal to brake, and yes, it has a basket that was previously held on with a bread tie. Because I was so unaccustomed to riding a bike, especially one that operates like the kinds I rode in elementary school before I got a real bike, I forgot how to brake and stopped myself by dragging my feet on the ground in order to pathetically pick up my basket. The easy part about making biking happen again is securing my basket with one of those bungee hook thingys (which I’m sure I’ll somehow snap into my eye). The hard part will be convincing Abe that I’m not just some cruiser riding hipster holding him back while struggling to keep my basket on and struggling up tiny inclines with no gears, so he’ll ride with me again.