The Day my Bike's Back Wheel Got Stollen

I bought my Supercycle Classic Schwinn Cruiser 26” Comfort Women’s bike about 3 years ago at the Canadian Tire by the IKEA in North York. I remember going into the store looking for a Canadian flag and coming out with a beautiful bike instead! I called my friend to see if he could pick me and my new bike up (because any good suburbanite knows that no one in their right mind rides a bike on suburban streets). While I waited for him, I rode my bike around in circles in the parking lot. I was a kid again.

I didn’t use my bike much until I moved downtown in the spring of that year. I paid a bit too much for a lock, bought a pretty helmet and a basket to match. I was set for the mean streets of Toronto. For the next 2.5 years I would ride my bike occasionally. But I loved it none the less.

At the start of summer 2009, I decided that by the Fall I would give my bike to my niece. She is almost as tall as me now and while I love my bike, it wasn’t very practical for me any more. I need a lighter bike that I can lift and carry if/when needed.

Ironically, I used my bike the most this summer. In August, one thing led to another and I hardly touched my bike. I had locked it outside and would occasionally take a peek at it to make sure it was doing okay. Then we went away for a week to Edmonton and while I was having a blast in the west, someone was stealing my back wheel. Or so I think. I’m actually not certain when they stole my back wheel but it was some time in August.

I took my poor bike to a bicycle shop on Monday to get it fixed, and they quoted me $100! I love my bike, and I wanted my niece to also get to use my bike, so I told them to go ahead and do it. The turn around time would be 3 days! This gave me some time to think things over. When I called to make sure they would use a white tire, they told me that there was no way they could do that because it would be hard/impossible to find. I couldn’t imagine riding a bike with mismatched wheels and I wasn’t going to have any niece of mine have to do that either. So I told them not to go on.

sigh

And so here I am today. I need to find the white wheel for my bike. It looks like Canadian Tire is the only store that has the rights to manufacture and sell Schwinn bikes. So I have to call them and see if they can order the parts for me.

I didn’t think loosing a back wheel would make me so sad.

I wrote this on 15 September 09 when I was feeling .

Comment

  1. Fran says,

    Someone stole your back wheel? Poor Shima. My sister had the same bike too. One month after moving in to a Co Op Downtown her bike was stolen right out of the Bike Room in her building. People are slime. And my other sister had her bike locked outside somewhere and a creep stole her front light off her bike. People are nuts. Sometimes I don’t understand society. Guess you can’t keep the bike in your place can you?

  2. Fran says,

    Second Post I know. Sending you some Cheer Up Vibes.

 
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