Metro Chronic

Every now and then, the bike goes onto the metro. Saturday night after riding to Huntington Beach, was one of those times. 10:30pm. I buy the ticket, and get on. Typical saturday night crowd on the blue line: Teenagers getting ready for a night out, the requisite guy slangin candy bars that no one buys, the occasional bum, and me, standing apprehensively next to a $6000 bicycle. Not typical metro fodder [the bike...not me]. Almost as soon the doors close...

"Hey man, niiiiice Cannondale. Didn't Lance ride one?", from a guy sitting a couple rows back. "Actually, I think Lance rode on Treks. Not sure though." Immediately, and to my dismay, all eyes on the car are on me and my bike. Regrettably, I know exactly where the conversation is heading. "Man, a bike like that must have set you back lots. How much would it cost to put one like that together?" The guy chatting it up was actually really polite and innocent looking. But with half the car listening/looking in, I cannot honestly answer that question. Sorry, guy. "Ah, well.....I put it together slowly with parts I found. It ended up being about $4-500." The guy is blown away by the figure. "Oh man, didn't think they made them that expensive!" I wish he hadn't uttered that last word..."Well, it's pretty old, from 2003, and has a couple dings and scratches." I say that with emphasis on OLD. ..and i think it did it. Had a couple nervous moments when a few large groups moved in and out, but got through it.

It's mad to think how shattered everything can be if the bike was thieved...be careful out there.