I was innocently walking through the neighborhood yesterday and I saw a bunch of bikes in a parking lot sale. Something red and shiny caught my eye, and the next thing I knew I was making a deal.
Backstory: I sold my old bike when I moved to Portland. I obviously needed a new one. My attitude towards bikes has evolved a bit over the years, and I keep making new rules about the kind of bike I want.
And then, I break them.
Rule #1: No more Schwinn bikes.
Reason: To be fair, I have always considered vintage Schwinn bikes to be the very best in classic style and overall fun. This has always been my go-to bike. Of course, I could never go very far on one, and after one hill, I was pretty much spent. SO, I decided my next bike would be newer, lighter, and faster.
What happened: I don't have the money to get that bike. Besides, the Sprint is slightly newer and lighter than the Suburban I used to ride.
Rule #2: Girl-style bikes are dumb.
Reason: I was hung up on thinking girl-shaped bikes were the modern day equivalent of riding side-saddle. It was old fashioned and meant to keep you from going anywhere good.
What Happened: I tried to mount a boy-style bike in a short skirt and flashed a bunch of people. Lightbulb moment: a lower crossbar serves a purpose if you want to wear a skirt and ride a bike. It turns out the design is not dumb, and is in fact, quite smart.
SOLD!
New bike, Day one: Adventure!
I already have a helmet, and I also picked up a lock. I rode with a sense of freedom to meet some friends for pub-style trivia.
I quickly learned not only am I not in very good shape, the destination was a bit further than I thought it was and mostly uphill. By the time I got there, my legs felt like cement. I just had to lock it up so I could get some water and eat inside.
10 minutes of struggling with the u-lock later, I caught myself accidentally flashing the folks hanging out in front because of the contortion I had to put myself in to get it all working properly... making this the second time in one day I pulled a Britney. Or is it a Lindsey? I don't know.
Still, it was fun!
When it was time to go home, surprise... darkness! Thankfully I was able to ride the whole way in a convoy of bikes that had flashing safety lights - another thing I need to pick up if I ever want to ride at night again.
Having a bike teaches you a lot about life, mostly things you don't expect to learn. I thought I was going to develop a relationship to the road yesterday, but instead I learned to be better prepared. That and to be more lady-like with my legs if I am going to wear short skirts in public.
5 comments:
I felt your pain, riding up the hill. I must go on, I can't go on, I must go on. When you get that light for evening riding, get something to hold a water bottle, too. You may be taking this Tours de France a bit too far, but stick with it. Patti
I think it's only a Britney if you're not wearing undies--and Star, we all know you're too high class of a lady for that!
One word: skort.
Yup- skort's the answer, saw a great example on gofugyourself recently. Although do consider the pleasure you may be denying others.
What a fun post. I bought a bike a few years ago and it was a total failure of an endeavor. I should blog about it. Thanks for the inspiration.
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