Farewell, my sweet bike...

Farewell, my sweet bike. You've been my trusty steed for about 10 years... but you are old now. You simply are kept together by a few bolts. You are not... you are...

If you know me, you'd know that I get attached to a lot of things. Even simple objects as a spoon, a blunt knife... a bike. Especially if it has been my loyal partner for about 10 years! But lately, the chains of my bike kept on missing the teeth of the...whatever it may be called. I couldn't kick the peddles normally any more. While it wasn't an issue most of the time... I knew I had to say good bye the day I couldn't get up a simple traffic bump any more...

I had to get a new bike. While I got a new bike that same day (after browsing 5 stores ¬¬), only now we have decided my old bike had to go. But, not just like that!

First I made pictures, so I can remember my Blue Lightning ^_^. Then, we took from it what is still fairly good. Like the saddle. My new saddle is very annoying and hard.
Like the brakes. While the brakes were used, they were replaced only a few months ago. I wanted to keep them, in case a future bike suddenly gets untrusty brakes. That way we can replace them and safely take the bike to the bike shop XP. I won't replace them until they get untrusty as well, but it will get me safely across the street.
We also took off the lock. I mean, we still have the key (usually that's an issue XD) and it's from AXA. AXA is a very good brand of bike locks. You never know if you might need a last-minute lock!
My dad also took off the hand-grips from the steer. I don't know why. Appearantly they were good enough.
We didn't take off the lights... since they never worked in the first place (it was already a second hand bike, bought for 150 Guilders (about 75 euro's; about 80 dollars). Now I have an actual working light O.o.

But my bike (a 'Gazelle' (Alternative) Town Bike)had a good long life. I don't know how old it was when I got it, but probably already about three-five years. So my bike lived about 15 years, not even failing me when I had my job as Newspaper Deliverer and Post/Mail Deliverer (and newspapers and mail are HEAVY!). Sure, I had my occasional flat tires, but that stopped the moment I got special inside-tires XP. Ones that don't get punctured that easily. For a moment, I thought about keeping the wheels as well, but to find a bike in the far away future to match that tire... the rubber would be totally desintegrated by then *sighs*

I'll miss my bike. But, sometimes you have to say goodbye to your childhood memories. Sometimes you can't keep something alive forever. I'll live. I'll feel better in a day or two. Call me crazy, but that's just how I am. I'll feel the same when I'll have to say good bye to my High School Backpack (A yellow 'Kipling'), which has been my trusty partner for about 12 years now. It's just... they've been with me for so long...

I won't cry.
But I will miss my bike...