Since this Blog is called Two Wheeling I think my latest adventure is pertinent. A couple of weeks ago I was topping off the gas tank on my minivan when I saw fuel dripping onto the ground under the car. I immediately thought that the pipe that leads from the side of the car to the tank was probably leaking and called my local garage to have them confirm it by inspecting the pipe. Today I took the car in to be repaired and since I knew it could take a while I put one of the many bicycles that live in my garage in the back to ferry me home and back when the task was finished.

It has been quite a long time since I last did the ride from town to my house and my legs registered their discontent after a short time. Fortunately I used to ride quite a bit with a bicycle club and am fairly well versed in the use of gears to save energy. The trip home is mostly up hill so I had several chances to re-use my dormant skills. The bicycle I used has twenty-one gear combinations and I used several to transport my sixty-three year old self home.

Riding a bicycle is not unlike riding a small motorcycle. Using the “Engine” wisely and proper use of gears to save energy is quite similar. If the “Engine” runs out of gas or stalls out on hills the result is the same. You get off and push the two wheeled vehicle to the top.

I discovered that the engine on my bicycle is extremely out of tune from disuse. I may just have to venture into town for small purchases on a Green Powered machine to bring it back into a fine state of performance. I'll let you know in the coming months if that occurs.