The Crankshaft Swing

I wriggled free from that blind cord, slipped right under the cracked screen door, and stepped into the open air of the front porch! Parked against the railing was a towering bicycle, an absolute playground of spokes, tension cables, and gears. Naturally, I had to climb it. I scrambled up the knobby front tire and took a flying leap onto the rubber pedal to check out the chainring. Turns out, the crank wasn't locked! My weight sent the pedal swinging downward in a fast half-circle, the hub buzzing with a sharp ratcheting click. I held on tight, absorbed the swing, and stuck a clean one-handed landing on the lower frame tube.