I Bought It

Last week I blogged about wanting to buy a bicycle. Once I put my mind to something, I had to go out and get it. After a lot of thought I just decided, I had better spend the extra 500 Sheck to get a nice bike with better breaks. So I went back to Eldar Cycling and bought the bike.



I'm pretty happy with it. It's nothing special. Just a nice 28-speed (8x3) set of gears. The front suspension is alright although while I was biking up the hill home, I noticed that if I pedal the wrong way I put some of my momentum into the suspension and not all into the pedals. I am really happy with the purchase though and it already has a name, thanks Dusty and Leah. The bike is going to be called the Orange Dream-Cycle. I haven't quite decided if it's male or female though.

Riding home though was tough. Not the hills, I can manage those, especially once I figure out how the gear ratio works a little better. It's the atmosphere. This is not a good biking town. You are supposed to bike on the sidewalks, which don't always have an easy way to get onto them. People also park their cars all over the sidewalks. This complicates the situation that involves a lot of trees, dumpsters and other just random stuff in the way. Not to mention the people you need to dodge because they walk like they are daring you to hit them. It's is for this reason I decided to pick up a helmet now and not wait for someone back home to mail me my helmet. Check out the "amazing" helmet I get to wear here.



Since buying the bike, I've taken it out on the streets a few times. I cannot get used to riding on sidewalks. It feels so wrong to be on the sidewalk. On the plus side, it is possible to bike on the wrong side of the road when you're on a sidewalk. Nobody really cares and they stand in your way no matter which side of the road you're on.

The other thing that is taking a while to get used to are the shocks. I'm not used to having a suspension in the front fork. It feels weird not needing to brace when you come across something in the road, or when the path has some change in gradient. Eventually I will get used to this, but I can't wait to get out on the trails.