I did not have a good night’s sleep last night. In fact, I was up from 2:00am.  It appears we were ‘punked’ by some random middle of the night caller.  I left for the gym at 4:45am. I was feeling pretty good in general singing along with Prince to Kiss. I swiped in after a brief chat and then the early morning chatter took over.  Terri and Elicia and Jonathan.  Nikki subbed this morning and she too was getting ready for class and partaking in the chatter. I wiped down my bike, number 97, and began to set the seat and handlebars.  Wait, the seat won’t move…it’s stuck. This is not good.

Terri is usually the queen of ‘stuck handles’ but no deal, it will not budge.  More sweating…but wait.  There are still true gentlemen around and in comes Jonathan to the rescue.  He could not budge it.  He tried and even dragged the tool box out.  No deal. I am beginning to sweat more, or is it a hot flash? I digress. Jonathan is working it and chivalrously gave up some pre-spin workout. We called the time of death.

I had to do the unthinkable and abandon my bike.  My sweet 97.  I rolled him out of the way and searched for another.  A kind seat, not a vagina poker. (sorry, can I say that on a blog?) A smooth pedal and strong clip: not too loose, not too tight.  I found Number 93 and wheeled him into  ‘my spot’.  You didn’t think I could give up both the bike AND my spot, did you?

Terri wiped him down and we set the seat and handlebars. We had time for our usual yogurt and banana and Jonathan was able to get some weightlifting in.  I am so OCD so I put on my chapstick, popped a piece of gum, started the heart rate monitor and began to pedal. Ooooo this feels good.  Too good.

In the end, 541 spent calories later, bike 93 and I are now one.  As Jonathan said, ‘you had some good times with 97’.  True, although I felt like I was cheating;  like my ride was that much better with new equipment.  Nikki asked if I ‘practiced safe spinning’.  Yes I did and now I’m unsure what to do when 97 is repaired.  Do I return to my old faithful or continue to ride this new, younger, more fit model?

Time will tell.  But to my friend and co-spinner Jonathan:  you should have had some good karma today for helping an old bike rider like me move on to remember the good times and keep on spinning. (That and a cup of Death Wish Coffee).