Hope's New Bike

My parents found a pink Schwinn 10 speed bicycle out in someone's trash at the beach. I'm not absolutely sure why someone threw the bike away, but I think it was because the frame was too small. But that kind of pisses me off, because if I had a bike that was too small, I'd want to donate it to Toys for Tots or Goodwill or some charity so that some kid could have a bike. Just to be sure, I went over the bike and checked everything out. I trued the wheel and washed the entire bike because it was dingy. And after that I adjusted the brake pads since they were rubbing the rim at an off angle. I still need to adjust the rear derailleur (if it's adjustable!) tomorrow and figure out if it really needs new tires. I think it does; it looks like the nylon on the old tires is flaking off. When the bike dried I sprayed clear enamel on the scratches it had to prevent the steel frame from further rust. Did I mention it was pink? Not a hot pink, but a pepto-bismol type pink. Yech. I really wanted to sand off the paint and give it a few coats of clear enamel but I think Hope would kill me. She's been talking about getting a pink scooter, a pink motorcycle, or a pink Cadillac for the last 4 years or so, and I think denying her a pink bike just might push her over the edge.