It’s time for another Grateful Heart Monday, where gratitude is always at the core, which for today is for getting a very old Gary Fischer bike up and running again after it had been sitting in a storage unit or a garage for over 14 years!
Many moons ago, when my mother was still alive, one of the gifts she gave me and my partner at the time, Jerry, were two really nice brand new Gary Fisher mountain bikes in early 2004. They were meant for recreational use on the island I was living on at the time, that being Chincoteague, Virginia, where the bed and breakfast I once owned was situated. While Jerry didn’t use his bike that much, I was on mine on just about every day and truly loved it. At my peak, I’d spend several hours covering usually 27 miles on it or more, which I found to be such a healthy escape, one that cultivated inner peace each time I did. Sadly, when I left my relationship and my life at that Bed and Breakfast in May of 2007, my bike went into storage and remained there gathering dust ever since, floating from one storage unit to another, until eventually it made its way into my garage here in Toledo a number of years ago, where many times I’d sit on its seat, hoping to one day ride it again.
Up until my early June trip to Saugatuck, Michigan, I hadn’t ridden on a bike since 2010, when all my health issues began. My mind and body had never really felt up to it. But, after doing a few miles on a bike from the resort Chris and I were staying at during that trip, and then doing another 14 more on a rental during my visit to see Cedric in Massachusetts in late June, I thought it might be finally time to try returning to an activity I really missed, even if it was on a limited basis based upon my health. Looking at the state of my old bike in my garage was a sad sight though. The chain was a mess, the wheels weren’t spinning anymore, the brakes weren’t working, and the tubes in the tires were shot. The frame on the other hand still looked to be in good shape, so I had a little faith. Enough so, that I loaded it into my partner’s vehicle and headed to CycleWerks Bicycle and Fitness in Whitehouse, Ohio, as they had been recommended.
The first question I asked as soon as Luke, one of the repair technicians there, approached me was whether it was financially feasible to repair my bike or should I scrap it. Truthfully, I think if he had said it was beyond repair, I probably would have just left it with him to scrap and left all desire to bike again on the back burner. Thankfully, he didn’t say that though and instead said he could get it back up and running for less than $200! I was ecstatic to hear this news, mostly because the bike also represented a loving memory of my mother.
A week later, I was back at the shop to pick my bike up, where sitting on it once again and taking it for a quick test ride on a trail nearby felt totally exhilarating. When I got it up to almost 20mph, I smiled, feeling grateful to have it fully functional again. But, truly the most grateful moment in this experience has come right now with a thought.
Maybe just like this bike being able to get fully restored when I thought it was truly down and out for the count, that my health can be too. All it took was holding on to a little faith when I brought my old Gary Fisher bike to a shop simply because its frame still looked ok. So, maybe I just need to keep a little faith in the Master Technician as well, leaving my frame in His hands, continuing to believe that He too can and will still fully restore me as well…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
Excellent article! Also, I enjoyed your comparing your bike frame to your physical human body, Fantastic!
Glad you liked it Alma!!! ❤️?