Pedal Spin

The rear wheel of that parked commuter bike was hovering an inch off the asphalt, propped clean on its kickstand. A free-spinning wheel like that is practically an open dare. I scrambled onto the low chainstay, hooked both gloves under the rubber pedal, and gave it one solid upward shove. The crank spun around, snapping the chain into gear with a sharp clink, and the whole wheel took off. The freewheel hub started buzzing like a high-speed mechanical ratchet, rattling out a crisp, rhythmic tick that buzzed straight through the metal tubing beneath my shoes. Watching those silver spokes dissolve into a fast blur was total momentum.