Just a Short Update...

Having located yesterday the bicycle I have inherited from the previous teacher I decided to make use of it today. First off, the thing is not a work of beauty. It has suffered its share of neglect what with the long winters in Yonezawa. There is plenty of rust on the frame and seat stem. The front brakes squeal loud enough to peel paint off of passing cars...okay. Perhaps they're not that bad but they're certainly not silky quiet.

Once I got the thing running I had to deal with two things: riding a bike where the cars are on the other side of the road and the instability of the bike once its speed falls below "cruising" speed. It's sort of like an acrobatic plane once its wing speed stalls...the thing will glide like a manhole cover. All said, I managed to stay upright from home to The Daiso and back.

All said, I won't be using that bicycle in the winter. If you search for "Yonezawa winter" you'll see why really quickly. Apparently it snows solidly for two months in the winter and there is snow on the ground for at least three more months. Fun. (^_-)