I was crossing a major thoroughfare today when I hit a small chuckhole. I heard a small *dink* and then a loud *CRUNCH* as the car following me ran over whatever it was that had just hit the pavement.

I cleared the crossing and stopped to take a quick inventory. It was my taillight, which had been clipped onto a loop on the end of my saddlebag (which sits under the saddle and holds a spare innertube and some tire irons). From time to time in the past I’d checked that it was firmly seated, and occasionally adjusted it. No longer …

I looked out into the intersection and saw the remaining bits, and I thought about going back and picking them up. The batteries might be a bit dicey to handle … and then I looked at all the traffic and figured the drivers were on their own. I continued on my way. On my return through the same intersection roughly three hours later, I noted a couple of small scraps that might have been the light, and might not have been. And there was a coffee beverage can, thoroughly flattened. I didn’t even pause.

Back at the end of May, while my son and I were cycling the Shimanami Kaido, my new rearview mirror blew off on the first good downhill. I thought then about going back to pick it up. There was little traffic, and I knew that I’d soon catch up with my son. And then I realized that a mirror that blows off on every downhill that comes along is no use to me anyway. I continued on my way.

(To be honest, no gear at all is supposed to fall off the well-tuned bicycle. Violation of Rule #65.)