Spinning the Pedal

I stopped beside a bicycle locked against the stone wall on Hauptstraße. The black front tire rose taller than my head. I reached up and pressed my palm against the rubber tread; it was firm and patterned with small diamond ridges. Reaching higher, I gripped the lower pedal with both hands and pushed downward. The crank swung smoothly in a clean arc. The metal chain caught the gear teeth with a succession of crisp metallic clicks. Momentum carried the pedals through two full rotations before coasting to a halt. I waited until the clicking faded completely. #gorebox