Lights Out

I was riding to work this morning and my homemade bike light faithfully showed me the way. About five miles into the ride I smelled something burning. I figured it must've been from some car exhaust. But the smell stuck with me for another mile or so even after I'd made a couple of turns. What could it be? I didn't see smoke coming from anywhere. It was puzzling. Then I hit that stretch of road next to the state Department of Transportation building. How fitting that the roughest part of the north-south bike route is there. I'm bumping along at a good clip when suddenly, plink! The light, as if dodging some oncoming danger, extracted itself from the PVC fixture and dove off to the right in a suicidal smash on the asphalt.


The light had gotten hot enough to heat the caulk seal around the bulb and the vibration from the bumpy road shook it loose. Bummer.

Sometimes we have faith in something and I, like Kip below (last 16 seconds), learned that sometimes it lets us down.


Fortunately, by this time there was enough daylight so I didn't need the headlight for the last couple of miles. But still. Dang it!