bike to work day FAIL

I know that I ride to school quite regularly, and in the grander scheme of things that means more than a token ride in on Bike To Work Day, but the fact that it is said Biking Day makes it all the more annoying that ALL THREE of my bicycles are currently non-functional.  

My old red cruiser has been stuck in one gear for over a year, and is not built for commuting, even if it is only 4 miles each way.  That cute little bike is only meant for riding a few blocks to the corner store, or up the street to the park for a softball game.  Not for haggling with traffic on Grand Ave with 20 pounds of stuff on my back. 

My commuter bike, an ancient Trek with its glorious panniers and rugged frame is also currently stuck in one gear.  My twist-shifter twisted right off the other day, as I was going up a large hill, and is hence stuck in the going-up-large-hill gear, which translates to pedaling furiously and going nowhere on the flat and downhills.  Rideable, but annoying.  Also, the derailuer is funky and even the best mechanics can't fix it, so I'm waffling between dumping more cash into this beater or finding myself another commuter bike...

Which brings me to bike #3, my road bike.  Also an ancient Trek, but lightweight and zippy and I loooove it.  This is what I planned to ride today, but somehow somewhere something has gone awry with the back end, and the frame refuses to stay connected to the wheel.  Which is sort of crucial.  I was once involved in a very awkward slow motion bike crash in the middle of an intersection in front of 8 lanes of traffic when my frame came off my wheel while I was clipped in..... tiiiiimber.  Anyway, not wishing to re-enact that scene I messed around with it for a while, covering myself in grease before I threw in the towel and grabbed my car keys, already almost an hour late for work.

Grumblegrumblegrumble.

I'll be back on the bike soon, though. I promise!