Most of my days are incident-free, but today was a double whammy. This morning my loose left pant leg caught on one of my three (yes, three!) empty water bottle cages and bent it. Much better than getting caught up and falling, but grrr. I think I bent it back into shape and these pants won’t be allowed on the Big Dummy again. Then I rode the Milano in the afternoon with the idea to bring it by Dutch Bike Co to see if they could straighten out my kickstand. It’s been getting gradually more sticky and I hoped it just needed a good tightening and not a retirement party.

The kickstand took matters into its own hands (legs?) and broke in half as soon as I wheeled the bike out of the garage. The remaining leg wouldn’t stay up so I zip tied it to the frame and crossed my fingers it would stay. Fitting since I learned the magic of zip ties from Dutch Bike Co. The zip tie held through preschool pick up and ride to the shop where I learned they don’t have a Pletscher two-leg kickstand in stock, but should get one soon. They removed the leftover pieces and politely accepted the fallen-off bits I’d transported in my pocket with the promise to call if it could be put back together. (I’m not expecting a call.) In the meantime, things aren’t too bad with no kickstand. Since I started out with a normal single kickstand, I’m used to leaning the bike against my hip while loading the kids. Granted, it’s not as easy and comfortable as a double kickstand, but it’s safe and effective.

I wasn’t able to leave the shop empty handed once we saw the bells. They now carry kitty cat bells! The Milano’s bells are currently a bunny bell with missing ear and kitty bell with missing kitty (it’s in the house just waiting to be glued back on) so this kitty bell will go on the Big Dummy. I also got an Origin-8 Time Clock Bell. I had assumed the time clock bell would go on my handlebars and the kitty cat on the seat post bars, but the four-year old has other plans. It’ll take me weeks to get around to installing them so hopefully he’ll have forgotten about wanting *my* bell by then.