Oh, Raleigh C40, So Long – I Barely Knew Ya!

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The Hub Bike Co-op, 3016 Minnehaha Ave

It’s not that I only housed the 2-wheeled lovely for a short time, but that this hybrid just lived in the basement. We tried hard to get to know each other. I didn’t hold it against it when after my first ride and approaching my yard to coolly swoop up in the yard as I saw the cool kids do on their bikes, we crashed after a squirrel jump out of the wisteria.  The bike took an injury, but I bled.  No hard feelings – I thought it was pretty cool; I showed my war-wounds off while omitting the squirrel-part, and the fact that I was on the sidewalk…but it was years before we revisited.

I really never embraced bike-riding. It’s like swimming – I am not a confident swimmer; I get a little panicky. That’s how I felt on the bike.  Plus, I don’t look good in a hat (let alone a helmet).

I took some rides down to the Falls and man, it was exhilarating! The breeze, the speed…I get it, for the moment, but it’s kind of like roller-skating at Roller Gardens (anybody?): we’re going in a circle, why again?

I felt a little guilty because there’s history attached to this bike – really. Like:  family tree, DNA, Ancestry.com – history.  Back in the day my mom and dad (both from small towns) would go to MPLS (gasp!) to buy my siblings’ and my bikes from a relative of Mom’s. Years after my first, bright-blue Schwinn, I moved into Longfellow.  I toyed with an idea of buying a bike and went to Carlson’s on Minnehaha (The Fix Studio, now).  As soon as I walked in I knew this was the same shop. The folks working there agreed that this was the same store but they didn’t know about a family connection.

Today I did it.  Off to The Hub. Yeah, I said it – I went to The Hub. I’m cool that way.  I was told that the bike was in great condition (smirk) by the nice guy who came to my car and unloaded for me (thanks for that).  I’ve never been in The Hub! At 1 in the afternoon on a Friday, there were plenty of folks there looking to buy, or get help with their injured bikes.  Arrangements were made and a figure will be forwarded in a few days and after a great bunch of pictures I walked out without looking back.

https://www.thehubbikecoop.org/

@TheHubBikeCoop

Photo: Jean Des Marais