Bike!

June 4, 2012 by d2 1 Comment

Not letting any grass grow under my feet, I came home with a bike yesterday. I didn’t imagine that it would happen so quickly. I was perfectly prepared to go to every bike shop in town and try out every bike under the sun. As it happened, I struck gold at the first shop, Jack’s, after just three test rides. (Jack’s is a fabulous shop by the way. The folks there were awesome!) To be honest and to give credit where it is due, Ira, our in house researcher, did some preliminary web searching and suggested we try Jack’s first. He wanted me try out the Kona Mahuna and Splice, both mountain bikes. I’ll be spending a lot of time on our local trail system, only going on roads when necessary, so I need a bike that will be both comfortable and able to deal adequately trail conditions. Ira liked the fact that they had a 29″ wheel. So I tried the Mahuna and liked it a lot. Then I tried a comparable Giant, which I also liked a lot. Then Rhonda, one of the shop’s owners, brought out a Giant Talon 29er, a higher end model that also has a 29″ wheel. I took it outside and spent several minutes smiling and laughing. I knew it was “my” bike. Then just to be sure I tried a hybrid but I already knew that my heart belonged to my white and blue Talon.

After a few minor adjustments including raising the stem and leveling out the seat, I rode my new bike out of the shop and headed home, taking a somewhat circuitous route that included both road and trails. The mountain bike is an entirely different experience than my old road bike and I absolutely love it. The 29″ wheels makes for a taller, more comfortable ride over a variety of terrains. I certainly can’t go as fast but I didn’t expect to. What surprised me, though, was how much easier it was to get up the significant hills I have to navigate to get home. It is a workout to be sure. My shakedown ride was so awesome that I think I giggled the entire way. I didn’t realize until yesterday how much I missed being on a bike. It certainly has chased away the blues about not being able to run. I can’t wait to take it out again today.

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