Girls' bikes stories 1

One time when I didn't have a car and just rode my bike(s) I went to the bike store to get some new bearings for the bottom bracket of my mountain bike. I rode my bike, parked it outside the store and locked it up, and went inside.

Let me put in an aside - remember I was riding my bike, and probably was wearing old sneakers and cut off jeans and a t shirt. It was the middle of summer. So I did not look really uptown. OK?

I asked the young guy at the counter for bearings for a Shimano Deore XT bottom bracket. He looked at me. I waited. Then he said, "XT?"

"Yep, xt ."

"You don't have XT." He told me.

Aside --- this was long ago, just after the dinosaurs roamed the Earth, and Deore xt were the top of the line mountain bike components.

I stared at the guy, amazed. Then managed to say, "but I do."

"What kind of bike do you have?" He snapped.

"Come see it - it's right outside," I walked to the door and pointed at my Univega Pro. He got me the bearings, but was not nice about it. I pulled apart the bottom bracket that night and installed them. It was an interesting, but alas, not unusual, event. Things are getting better, but being female in the many subcultures of bicycles has its challenges and challengers. But bikes are so rewarding, I never consider quitting.