bikes

Cool, cool, cool! As already mentioned to friends, I bought myself and my son new bikes. If I had been more patient, or planned further ahead, I would have monitored the appropriate channels to find used bikes. But I didn't. And what you save in time you usually pay in money. I found out Tuesday I have him this weekend, and by golly we were going to ride bikes. I was pleased with the service and equipment I got at the Specialize shop around the corner. Yesterday I purchased mine. It's been since high school that I sat on one. It was a used "mountain" bike that I paid my boyfriend's mom a couple twenties for. He and I went out a time or two, but he was always leaving me in his dust, which frustrated me. A lot. Apparently I'm not an aggressive biker. No, I take it back. I just recalled another more recent outing as an adult. Hmmm, I remember being left behind a lot then too. No wonder I haven't been on a bike much. But yesterday it was just me and the bikes. And I love riding by myself. No one to keep up with! The shop encourages you try them out in a nearby neighborhood, which I thought was super cool. I felt like Goldilocks as he lined up three bikes that ranged from cruiser, to hybrid, to mountain bike. I identified with the cruiser, but could envision riding unpaved trails as well. Just like the shoe department at Nordstorm, I'll try anything they bring me! First up was the cruiser. It had tall handle bars that sat you upright, a shock under the thick seat, and 24" fat tires. After the first few minutes I realized how badly I was out of shape. Eeegads. But it was indeed a cushy ride and after the burn waned in my thighs, I enjoyed it a lot. Next up was the hybrid. It had an identical frame and seat as the cruiser, but used a slimmer 28" wheel. It was less work to drive (a la taller wheels), but subtly less shock absorbing - so much so I wasn't sure if I'd imagined the difference. I was paying special attention to jolts and bumps - the bike needs to absorb that, not my back... Then I tried the mountain bike with lower handle bars that forced more weight to my hands. No shocks in the seat and overall noticeably less smooth. A stiff bike that would produce an unhappy back. But I must admit it was enticing and I could see myself wanting one when my back is healthier. I tried the hybrid again with slightly deflated tires to absorb more bounce. Anything was smoother after the mountain bike, but all the same, it became my favorite. I picked black, which I'm not excited about, but the other colors didn't sing to me. (Not even the pink. I know, weird.) And a red helmet to top it off. Never wore a bike helmet before... They're a bit dorky aren't they? Of course my son is at an age where he's still proud of his helmet. Which is blue. With stickers. (He informed me my helmet was "sloppy" because it didn't have any stickers on it.) And his bike is lime green. Somehow I knew he would end up with a green bike because yesterday I bought him a lime green bike bell. We bought the beautiful bike today and I bet everyone in his class knew he was getting one after school. It seems big, but the dude assured me it was a good enough fit with the training wheels and the seat all the way down. So...I'm guessing he'll have this one a while. Which is good, because it wasn't cheap. But it's super cool, and more than one person said so on our outing to the park. Which took a long time to get there. The slightest incline nearly had him rolling backwards and I had to pull on the handle bars to reverse the momentum. He'll have to beef up a bit... But he's a natural at the brakes! I guess if you had to choose one skill to start with, that's a good one. I look forward to our next outing tomorrow!