[AMC-list] It was a sad day yesterday (goodbye to my tandem)

[Bruce Griffis <bruce.griffis@xxxxxxxxx>]

Well, it has been a long time since I used my tandem. In a fit of
garage cleaning, I told my oldest son he could post it on Craigslist.
My youngest son and I used to ride the Silver Comet Trail  on a
Cannondale mountain bike with a trail-a-bike attached. We put in a lot
of miles and had a great time. Along the way, I picked up an old Fiore
tandem bike. Just a steel bike made in China, with all of 5 (or 6?)
speeds. Still, it had 2 water bottle carriers and a cool rack on the
back. Perfect for carrying a small cooler full of drinks and snacks. A
nice bag on front for the inner tube, a small pump and some tools. We
did a lot of miles on that bike. We did the Esom Hill to Piedmont
section a couple times before it was paved. We hopped across the first
bridge out of Georgia on the trail before it got paved, looking down
at Terrapin creek through the railroad ties. We rode it to my son's
elementary school. We used it for night rides up to the pool in the
summer time, and late night rides down the hill back home from the
pool - the wind in our hair, drying us off before we got home. We took
it down to Charlie Elliot wildlife center and rode the dirt roads on
it. We rode it on the beach at Cape San Blas in Florida. It was a good
bike.

Either the bike got heavier and harder to peddle, or I got heavier and
lazier. I got upset over hanging it off the back of my car - the
weight of the bike denting the trunk lid. My knees hurting whenever we
rode it any distance lately. So - we sold it. A lady picked it up
yesterday, opened the back door of her minivan. Slid it right in. The
back bench seat was out - and it fit right between the two middle row
seats. I smacked myself in the forehead - I had NEVER thought of a
minivan! And never thought of easier ways to transport the tandem. I
replaced an inner tube, cleaned the bike up and took it for one last
ride before selling it. And wanted to call the lady up and tell her
"no sale!"

The sale of the bike was to pay for a clutch on the Rambler. Hmmmmmm.
Clutches are over-rated. I drove a Mazda RX3 with a bad clutch for a
long time - just kind of matched revs and slipped it through the
gears. Anyway - too many hobbies. Something had to go.

Goodbye white tandem. You'll be missed. Anyone want a '72 Schwinn
Continental? No! That's gotta stay! Off to the bank tomorrow to
deposit the cash, then calling for clutch parts. I guess decent
clutches are good to have. (now to scour the house to see what else I
could sell to pick up more Rambler or Apache Eagle parts)
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