The light is red, so I come to as close to a full stop as I can while staying upright. The plan is to turn right zip down 39th (soon to be César Chávez Blvd.) for a block and turn left onto home street. I’ve been out for an hour and a half of riding on a Sunday morning. Between sunup and the time Jennifer sleeps in to is a marvellous time to ride. It is especially marvellous with temps around 60°F (15°C) instead of the projected 90 (32) forcaste for later today. There’s a baguette straddling the handlebars and a pair of scones in the h-bar bag. I’m looking forward to breakfast with Jennifer. It’s the end of a pleasant Sunday morning ride. A little pause here at the red light and I’ll be on my way.
I look to the left and don’t seen a car coming. I start forward and into the turn and recheck now that my line of sight is better. Oh! Cab coming! Snap! The brake lever bottoms out.
It’s really wonderful that bikes are made with two brakes. I normally use the back one only to trim speed. Now I use it for full stop while I turn into the curb. The cab wizzes by with a honk.
Wouldn’t it be great if all catastrophic front brake failures happened at two or three miles an hour on a flat bit of road in low traffic two blocks from home? This is as good a piece of luck as the bit I had with the flat tire right before the crest of a hill on a street with well tended, grassy medians. The hill with road kill in the bike lane and cars flitting by closely through the S curves. It was great to bomb down that hill with a freshly patched and pumped tire instead of a flat compromising my bike handling.
Good luck doesn’t last forever. I’ll enjoy mine while I have it.
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