cleaning day

I washed my bike today.

The wheels were all mucky, the glisten was gone,
My faithful old steed, I'd neglected too long.
The brakes gummed in grime, the cogs were all clicky,
The cluster it crackled, the cables were sticky.
Too many times I'd been caught in the rain,
The oil was all black on the gears and the chain.

So down to the workshop; the bike on the bench
I opened my toolkit. Dismantling commenced.
Piece by piece, with love and great care
The chain over here, the wheels over there,
The derailleur cogs in a solvent-filled cup,
I dismantled the chain-wheels and polished them up.

I hosed down the frame, then taking my time
Removed every mark, all the dirt, all the grime
And with all the patience and care I could muster
with a solvent-damp rag I cleaned out the cluster
And wiped down the rims and polished the spokes.
(This may seem obsessive to non-riding folks.)

Degreased and then rinsed, the chain was now free
Of all grease and muck; a pleasure to see!
The components laid out to dry in the sun.
Have I lost any? No, I have every one.
Then in careful order I painstakingly pieced
Each component together, re-oiled and re-greased.

I trued up the gears with perfect precision;
Then stepped back to admire… Ah! What a vision!
The bike looked brand new, my work was all done,
Now time for a test ride, now time for some fun!
Then washing my hands to rid them of grease
I mounted my steed as my heart rate increased.

A smile, then a chuckle found its way to my face
As I put my head down and I picked up the pace.
Out onto the road, the ride, oh so sweet,
The power so clean to my wheel from my cleat
Listen! Can you hear? Not even a squeak!
It glistens, it glides! What a ride! Magnifique!

The dérailleur glides as the shifter demands
(Perhaps only a cyclist can understand)
The wheels spinning freely, oh what delight!
The levers so smooth, the cables all tight!
Like clockwork; precision! Completed assignment!
The pieces together in perfect alignment.

What's that ahead? A rider I see,
A test now, a challenge, for my steed and me!
With the stealth of a cat I crept up on my prey
And with timing just perfect, I blew him away!
I thought as I gave him a quick backward glance,
"You won't catch me today, not even a chance!"

Onward I pushed now, widening the gap,
Should I turn back yet? Not yet - one more lap!
Now if more attentive I had have been,
A cumulo-nimbus I would have seen,
But only the one cloud, what did I care?
It's still far away, I'll have time to spare.

So further I rode but then all too plain
A speck on my face; the first drop of the rain!
Rain? Why me? Why now? What a thought!
All of my cleaning would amount to naught!
So home I now hurtled, but alas, all too late,
I was soggy and filthy, what a terrible fate!

Puddles now spreading all over the street,
Sprayed onto my drive-train and under my seat.
Mud on my frame - that just will not do!
My rims and my chain and dérailleur too!
Downcast, dejected, decidedly glum,
My labour was wasted, my efforts undone!

The wheels were all mucky, the glisten was gone
My luck, I had pushed just a little too long
The brakes gummed in grime, the cogs were all clicky,
The cluster it crackled, the cables were sticky.
Such heartbreak, it brings a tear to my eye,
Scratching my head, I now wonder why

I washed my bike today.

Written By : Ian Thompson