Yesterday while riding home, one of Lauren’s panniers got stuck in her rear wheel, sending her and her beloved Icarus to the ground. I got “the” phone call that every spouse / partner gets at some point in their cycling-friendly relationship: “I wrecked my bike, come pick me up!”

Remarkably, she was more upset about her stem, bars, brake levers and paint getting scratched than the road rash on her elbow, hip, knee and hand. After a scrub down and some ointment application, all is well. I straightened her bars, tightened her panniers and made sure she was happy…

Bikes are going to get wrecked. They’ll get dented, dinged, chipped and bent if you love them accordingly (i.e. ride the piss out of them). Skin grows back and marks add character.

Ride safe.

ps. my lady is tough!