Priorities

Last week my mountain bike developed an issue with the hydraulic brakes, an issue for which I don't have the tools to address though that may change soon. So what did I do? I took it to the best shop in town, you know, the one that has all the high end bikes, sponsors a race team and has some of the best mechanics. Nothing but the best for one of my bikes, it just goes without saying, no questions asked. It's a little different story for The Beater I drive on those rare occasions I'm not on the bike. It's a single-owner car, maintained well and still very reliable but as will happen, The Beater has this, um, little problem: I can generally just push it back together and it's good to go for a month or two but inevitably it pops out again. When something goes wrong with one of my bikes, the fix is generally in place within hours and usually with the best parts available. This problem, however, came with The Beater when I took possession several years ago. I could repair it myself, it's just a broken lens that I could pick up for half what I just spent on my mountain bike's brakes. But I'm so tight with my money, yes I do squeak when I walk, that just don't want to spend any money on The Beater so it just keeps getting worse and pops out more frequently. While it's true The Beater is worth less than any of my bikes, it still didn't seem quite right. I started feeling sorry for this reliable, taken for granted, transportation alternative not getting the attention it deserved so I pulled out my beater repair manual and fixed it: I decided to go with the upgraded clear tape rather than the duct tape the manual recommended for this type of repair. You know, to show it a little respect...