[CR]Why working on old bikes can be dangerous

(Example: Production Builders:Peugeot:PX-10LE)

Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 22:00:10 -0800
From: "Steve Maas" <smaas@nonlintec.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Why working on old bikes can be dangerous

This happened a couple weeks ago. I would have shared the story earlier, but life has been complicated, and it's taken a while for my rear end to heal.

I bought a Gran Sport derailleur on eBay for my 1959 Allegro. When it arrived, I was a little disappointed to see that one of the pullies had been replaced by an incorrect one, whose center hole was too large, so it didn't fit properly. Well, OK; I decided to make a bushing so the pulley would fit, for now, and keep an eye open for a replacement. I measured the hole, chucked a piece of steel rod in my little lathe, and started to turn it down.

The lathe is in the garage, and since it was a nice day, the garage door was about two thirds open. Right outside the door is a small bush, which always seems to be full of sparrows. At one point, I heard a loud thrashing sound, looked around, and saw a large, red-tailed hawk tumble out of the bush, apparently lose his orientation, and fly straight into the garage, directly at me. The hawk saw that he was on a collision course with my face and put out his claws, ready for the impact. I swear, he had a look of surprise which might have even outdone mine.

I ducked. The hawk flew over my head, panicked, and started flying wildly around the garage. I ran out of the garage, stumbled, and fell ignominiously on my tush, just in time to see the hawk rediscover the open door and head for the sky.

But all's well that ends well. My bruised rear end has healed, and yesterday I saw the hawk perched on our power lines, by all appearances healthy, uninjured, and well fed on sparrow tartare.

The derailleur is working fine, too.

Steve Maas
Long Beach, California