Ode to a "clipless" moment

[BenM]

/me sticks finger in ear, puts on knitted sandals, tops up the foaming ale jug and....
As I was a cycling one warm autumn evening,
I paused at a stop light cos it was bright red.

I waited till green and turned up the steep hill,
with a clatter and crash the chain it was dead!

I picked my self up from the road, warm and wet,
blushing furiously as a maid passed me by.

I cursed at the chain tubes and the zip ties that held them
got oil on my hands and who knows where else!

Got back on the Orca and turned the pedals over
I noticed a whine from the rear of the bike

I tried to back pedal but the chain tube refused me
on closer exam a link it had bust.

Not a simple break, oh no my friend, never!
just one of the fish plates has drifted apart

So Push up the hills and roll down the other side
It took 40 minutes to wend my way home

Tomorrow the car will take me to work early
the Orca in back for the Local Bike Shop!

I thank you, I thank you.... I will apply for poet Laureate later this evening. Queenie will no doubt read my poetry and employ me at once.

B.

 

[Tigerbiten]

That happened to me once on my old trike 20 miles from home.
Three wheels are good, so I didn't fall off.
Luckily I was able to shortern the chain by removing a short section between 2 powerlinks and making it a single speed.
Set off towards home.
One mile further down the road on the next hill, another link went .......
Phoned home and got collected.

 

[aberal]

Excellent, excellent poetry. I'd definitely put it up there with the poetry of the guy who wrote Rupert the Bear. And slightly above McGonagall.

 

[BenM]

McGonagall, may he rest in pieces, is my poetical hero. I aspire to his greatness

B.

p.s. dropped a link out of the chain, cos there seems to be plenty of slack. I will see how it goes tomorrow and obtain a SRAM PC971 for spares.