The Oracle
I didn't know what I was in the market for when I bought Trek. I wanted to ride a bike, that's all I knew. I thought mountain biking looked cool, because there was that commercial on TV with the guy air-riding (*pretending* to ride) a mountain bike while his friends tooled around on their real-live bikes. The leaves, the feel of fall in the commercial and my desire to break out, enjoy the world and not be such a fat arse steered me in the direction of a mountain bike.
A friend recommended Tri-Sport Bikes in Fresno, and that's all I had to go on. I wanted a bike to ride in nature, I didn't want to be a fat arse, and I knew of a store. Credit card in hand, I walked into the shop with "SUCKER" stamped on my forehead.
I was greeted by the ever-helpful Mike, who ignored the screaming toddler in my arms and my eagerness to buy anything. Over the course of the next hour, he slowly helped me define my needs based on what kind of riding I wanted to do, the different types of bikes available, and the budget involved. By the end of the conversation I suspected a road bike might be in my future, but clearly not my budget. My heart landed on the Trek, and there it stayed.
But Mike would prove to be an oracle as well. "The more you ride," he said, with a knowing smile, "the more you will love it. And the more you love it, the more you will want to move up to different styles of riding." I knew he was talking about the road bike, whose several-hundred to several-thousand dollar price tags made me gasp. Then chortle. Then fly into a coughing fit.
What kinda fickin' nutcase would pay that kinda jack for a bike, when you could buy a car?!? Albeit a small, used car with flat tires and a bad transmission--but a car nonetheless!
*sigh*
Me. I am that frickin' nutcase.
After riding these last few months as much as I have-- and having become a regular commuter on my Trek-- I have seen the light.
I find I love my mountain bike desperately-- she is my first love, and will always be close to my heart-- but have yet to use her on an acutal mountain, per se. Secretly, I have hopes to one day participate in an event, and when I do, I will want something lighter, and maybe a little faster. I know this because I saw an event a few weeks back when I was down in The Tower district. A grand total of NONE of those riders were on mountain bikes. It would have been ridiculous.
And while I don't want to be in a bike race (too fast, and the outtakes of heinous bike race wipe-outs from the old HBO show, Not Necessarily The News, have just ruined it for me forever), I do want to do the San Francisco to LA AIDS ride next year. Insane? Perhaps. But when I do it, I'm thinking I'll want a lighter bike.
And so it shall come to pass: The Great Oracle Mike hath spoken. I will get a road bike. It shall be mine!!
A friend recommended Tri-Sport Bikes in Fresno, and that's all I had to go on. I wanted a bike to ride in nature, I didn't want to be a fat arse, and I knew of a store. Credit card in hand, I walked into the shop with "SUCKER" stamped on my forehead.
I was greeted by the ever-helpful Mike, who ignored the screaming toddler in my arms and my eagerness to buy anything. Over the course of the next hour, he slowly helped me define my needs based on what kind of riding I wanted to do, the different types of bikes available, and the budget involved. By the end of the conversation I suspected a road bike might be in my future, but clearly not my budget. My heart landed on the Trek, and there it stayed.
But Mike would prove to be an oracle as well. "The more you ride," he said, with a knowing smile, "the more you will love it. And the more you love it, the more you will want to move up to different styles of riding." I knew he was talking about the road bike, whose several-hundred to several-thousand dollar price tags made me gasp. Then chortle. Then fly into a coughing fit.
What kinda fickin' nutcase would pay that kinda jack for a bike, when you could buy a car?!? Albeit a small, used car with flat tires and a bad transmission--but a car nonetheless!
*sigh*
Me. I am that frickin' nutcase.
After riding these last few months as much as I have-- and having become a regular commuter on my Trek-- I have seen the light.
I find I love my mountain bike desperately-- she is my first love, and will always be close to my heart-- but have yet to use her on an acutal mountain, per se. Secretly, I have hopes to one day participate in an event, and when I do, I will want something lighter, and maybe a little faster. I know this because I saw an event a few weeks back when I was down in The Tower district. A grand total of NONE of those riders were on mountain bikes. It would have been ridiculous.
And while I don't want to be in a bike race (too fast, and the outtakes of heinous bike race wipe-outs from the old HBO show, Not Necessarily The News, have just ruined it for me forever), I do want to do the San Francisco to LA AIDS ride next year. Insane? Perhaps. But when I do it, I'm thinking I'll want a lighter bike.
And so it shall come to pass: The Great Oracle Mike hath spoken. I will get a road bike. It shall be mine!!
