Hi Yall
Hello,
I guess I'm getting to be an old guy that wants to get back into bikes.
Used to love riding when I was young but haven't been on a bike in 30 years now. Realizing that in order to grow old gracefully one needs to exercise regularly, and knowing I'm not ever going to be a gym rat, and walking tends to bore the hell out of me I gotta find a solution, oh yeah remember the bike, I can do that and I know I it isn't boring. OMG why did I ever quit.
But now I'm out of touch, no idea about all the new stuff SRAM what's that! Any rate I need a bike and the landscape looks a lot different and honestly I can't afford to plop to much money, 1 I don't have any and, 2 I may very well find my needs change as I get back in cycling so, off to the LBS I go. (about a year ago)
I will spend almost all of my time on streets (I think) maybe some easy trails but doubt I will feel the urge to go barreling down the side of a big hill on a primitive trail. No I just want to have some fun on a bike, go to the produce stand to pick up some groceries and, hum, maybe ride to work.
The LBS (more than one) all point me to a hybrid (what the heck is that) but they do ride good, I like. I remember the drop bar, it is the bomb for riding fast, I used to love getting low and flinging the bike side to side as I pumped furiously for speed, I'm gonna do the hybrid thing but I wonder if I'm going to regret not having those drop bars, I don't want to race or work furiously to improve times I just want to have fun and get some good cardio, but I do like speed, I love speed going down hill as fast as I can till it scares me is my idea of fun.
But alas I have bills and responsibilities so I gotta be an adult here and what if I don't find the bike as fun as I once did?
I am looking for the most bang for the buck I can find, and I know I want fenders cause it rains a lot here, sometimes with no warning, I think I probably want a basket or something to haul stuff in cause I just think it is practical, and I think riding to work makes a whole lot of sense so I think I need something that can handle all that but I don't want a cheap heavy slug, I do want to be able to go fast when I'm up to it.
It took a year of looking and lurking (here and other places) to finally pull the trigger. I rode different bikes but the ones that I kept coming back to were the Giant Escape 2 and the Trek FX 7.2. I like them both and convinced myself that each one was the one and then OMG back and forth. I like them both.
But the Giant Escape City looks like the best bang for the buck, rack, fenders and just under $575 (taxes) out the door. The LBS did not have one in stock because that is just not a "model" they normally carry. Well I'm hard headed so I ordered one and it is supposed to be ready this week. It is killing me, I'm ready to get back in the saddle, did I mess up, will I love it, hate it, I want to go scream at an obnoxious car driver, dear god get my bike ready. Have I still got the goods to ride to work everyday?? I want to get on with it.
Just want be happy until my butt hurts and my legs burn cause I know it's coming.
I feel better now that I'm out of the closet.