Perched high in a round balcony, a widow peers out into the distance Mediterranean oceans waiting on a sailor who left for the hospital in Germany a long time ago. Since the early 1800’s, when the first widows perch was built women have sat patiently and waited for the return of a life they once knew. It is now 2012, I find myself in camaraderie with the women of history as I sit halted from my world bicycle tour waiting on a man, my hubby Rohloff.
The other day, I came across the rules for women cyclists in the 1800’s. Times have changed for WOW women on wheels for we are now not so rare. For instance in 1895, Annie Londonderry became the first women to cycle the world. Motivated by the suffragist movement, dared in a public courtyard, Annie set off by bicycle to show the world she could indeed take care of herself, and with a derailleur she probably did. Annie Londonderry certainly wasn’t waiting on a man to start or finish her world bicycle tour.
Fast forwards a few hundred years and unlike Annie Londonderry, I find myself waiting on a man, my hubby Mr. Rohloff Wheel. He has been a steady companion proving to be unstoppable in any condition through 18 countries. Never a tool have I ever held to his adjustments. As anyone who has read Top 5 Reasons Why Rohloff Makes The Perfect Hubby, I am firm believer in the modernization of too clog-able often replaced derailleur.
However, it is most important to remember that people have been pedaling up mountains wearing nothing but flip flops for a very long time. And going with what you got truly takes the Rohloff verses derailleur debate by any vote. Even so, I will never complain about my modern expensive hubby Rohloff’s reliability on mountain, desert and ocean roads. Mud, rust and clog free, his no maintenance style has softened my heart and turned me into a committed partner.
Regrettably, there had to be a trial separation recently between me and my hubby. He was sent off to Germany for repairs. Roadside assistance, he will not bear for he had busted his bearing, a not too common issue for his age. However, when his bearing blew he needed to be shipped to the Rohloff hospital in Germany, so I detoured my route and ventured to Greece, Cyprus from the Iran/Turkey border because EU Cyprus garnishes the EU data post mailing service.
So what is the story on how long a woman should wait for a man?
December 30th I sent my wheel to Rohloff Germany expecting an “expedited” repair, my hubby arrives 5 days later to Germany with the EU Data Post mailing service.
January 4th received by Rohloff and than a 5 days wait for the arrival of a tire I ordered from England sent to Rohloff. The Rohloff hospital in Germany indeed serviced my hubby very promptly and he left the shop for his return voyage with a new tire (1/11).
January 11th Rohloff’s return shipping of an expedited repair EU to the EU?,13 plus days and still no hubby. Apparently, he must have been sent by mule. By the time I get back on tour perhaps even my hubby Mr Rohloff Wheel will have joined the camp of cyclists who are and will always be derailleur fans.
January 18th The post office here in Greece EU Cyprus said that if Rohloff had of been sent as certified, registered and/or express mail, the same service that I utilized for my delivery of my hubby Rohloff, I could have been back in my wheels in 1-3 days.
January 24th 26 days later, Rohloff lingers longer then a widow at her perch longing for a life she once knew, and I still sit like my sisters of history not yet back on tour pondering the word “expedited repair” waiting on a man.
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