Serenity Launches Again Tomorrow

A slow day at Scuderia makes for a shiny bike.

Tomorrow is launch day. In light of my irrational panic, here's a moment of reflection.

The day I installed the Fehlings was quite slow, so once the pannier bars were installed I did something unheard of. I wiped my bike down with the attention I wiped down all the other bikes that came through Scuderia.

It's ironic that I found work that included cleaning up bikes, because I'm of the camp that my bike gets a wash when it rains – in 61k, I never detailed my own bike. I looked at all the scars, scratches, and dents with the critical eye of an inspector. Up close, Serenity hosted a topography of blemishes, and there were plenty of places that no longer quite matched up anymore. For the most part, I could recall what incident left a mark or chip. For others, I can't for the life of me think how they got there. It's crazy to think that I bought this bike new and put the first few miles on during the test ride.

Matt, resident Vespa specialist, asked if my bike had a name. I pointed at my Firefly sticker and said, "I'm a nerd. She's called Serenity." I couldn't have guessed life would imitate art so aptly since her naming. Much like the role Serenity plays for the characters in the show, Firefly, over the course of many miles this chunk of steel has become my home. In my eyes, Serenity is perfect with her scars, because some of my best memories were made here.

Tomorrow is launch day. Let's keep this ship on the road!