Keeping on, keeping on

I've said before that I think it's odd when people don't bother maintaining the bicycle they rely on to get around.
This isn't that though, because this is a bike that seems to being getting on for a few years now, with miss matched tyres, scratched paint and a few additions like the redundant seat post reflector, but a brand spanking new chain guard.


It hasn't even had it's protective plastic wrapper removed.

Previously maybe I've thought that it's a shame that people don't look after their bikes, that they more often than not end up becoming that rusty bike that's been locked in the same spot for a few months now, with it's hope of ever moving again deflating like its tyres. I don't know now though. I like to maintain my bikes, but perhaps the gradual decline and fall, the damage, the rust and the broken parts are the more natural course for city bikes to take. I think when I've looked at awesome old bikes rusting apart in England it seems to suck more just because of the low number of these bikes you see, whereas here in Lund every street has maybe one or two of this kind of bicycle. When there seems to be no shortage of classic bikes knocking around, that destructive life on the street becomes the natural way of things, and it doesn't suck because you know you're going to turn the corner and find someone who's still riding this around.


The most obvious bit of paint left on it seems to be a pin stripe on the front fender, and a smudge of red on the frame. I hope they ride it till it breaks in two.