Wednesday, June 21, 2006

buying a bike


So Al Gore's got me all worried. Worried that my suspicion the apocalypse will be brought on by global warming rather than the number 666 is correct. See Inconvenient Truth and judge for yourselves. Meanwhile I'm buying a bike.

My buying-a-bike concerns are: 1) that I can ride it in a skirt 2) that it has a basket, and perhaps, 3) one of those cute little bells. I'm already imagining the plastic flowers I'm going to attach to the basket. In fact, the basket seems to be my main prerequisite in a potential bike. Oh, and I refuse to buy a yellow or pepto-bismal pink one. I'm reasonable otherwise.

But I've found that bike shop personnel have other concerns. They want to know if I want a road bike or a mountain bike. How many miles I'm going to put on it a week. They ask about frame height and weight, how tall I am, and whether I want lowered handles. Sigh. How technical!

I drove to Danny's Bike Shop on Central over the weekend. I parked directly in front and looked in through the expansive glass windows, past the many bikes on display, to the sporty suburbanites inside. I fought the urge to leave without going in. Ugh. I had no idea what I wanted besides a stylish old bebasketed bike. I braced myself, went in, and looked around--carefully avoiding any sporty-person contact.

Since then I've stuck to the internet. There are lots of cute baskety bikes on the internet.

Nevertheless, I've learned a few things: I am looking for a road bike, height and weight do matter, and cute old bikes are heavy. (I have to carry the thing under the Crestwood train station, so it can't be a dinosaur.)

I'm still searching. And really, I can attach a basket--with or without flowers--to whatever bike I buy, so long as it isn't yellow, pink, or... purple either. I want a fashionable for the apocalypse.

1 comment:

Julia said...

Now that Jeff is into cyclying, I have advice o' plenty. Go for a really lightweight bike!! They are such a dream to ride, you wouldn't even break a sweat from your apt to work. Heavy, steel frame bicycles require too much effort, especially uphill. Even though they're cheaper, they aren't worth the money you would save. Don't be tempted!!! Also, don't forget to get a girly, cushiony seat. The sporty Lance-wanna-be sales dude might not consider your special needs in this area, so you have to look out for yourself. Those narrow man-seats are devices of torture for us girls.