Bikes and Kids......piece by piece

I am starting to wonder if I have undertaken a task that is way over my head because I don’t have the required knowledge. I hope that I am not the only father who feels this way when it comes to my parenting. I have been described as the human equivalent of the dog from the movie “UP”, I am passionate about lots of stuff, and I have absolutely no trouble jumping headfirst into a situation before I really understand or have even thought through the entire process, but I am also easily distracted.

My current headfirst venture is to build a commuter bike up completely from scratch and start riding it to work a couple of times a week. Up until this moment, my previous bike repair experience is…..(big empty silence)……..ya, that’s it….as I type this I am beginning to realize it sounds like an even dumber idea the more I talk about it. Building this bike is much like being a father, I don’t know what I don’t know, but I sure as heck am going to get it figured out as I go along. For each part that I add to the frame, the bike gets one step closer to completion, and each day I learn how to be a better father by taking the lessons previously learned and trying to avoid the same mistakes. Part by part this thing is going to come together. There are going to be mistakes, but like most mistakes that will arise whilst putting the bike together, with a little more practice and elbow grease we will get them worked out. Thankfully I have a highly knowledgeable friend who has constantly been offering advice on the bike construction (albeit from 2000 miles away…thanks AJ) and when it comes to fatherhood I have some wonderful examples (thanks Dad and Grandpa) and partners (the lovely and talented Mrs. B) to help support and inspire me. Building a bike and fatherhood are possible by yourself, but they are both so much more fun when done with fun people that you love and respect.