My new toy

A few years ago we were out riding our bikes and as we crossed the intersection a lady making a left turn hit me, breaking my leg and demolishing my bike. When I was able to ride again we went out and bought a cheap WalMart bike. I went from a street bike, to a mountain bike, because that's what was available at the time and I just wanted to be able to ride again. I also rode with our big blue and gold macaw who liked to do things like chew on brake cables and take chunks out of handles so I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a bike. It had the hardest seat imaginable which left me bruised after every ride, I was hunched over riding it,  and half the time the gear shift didn't work. The gears didn't shift and then suddenly I'd be riding and they'd slam into place. I've hated the bike from the first day I got it, but once I had a bike I wasn't going to go out and buy another one, especially since for the last couple of years we've hardly ridden at all.

This spring we went for our first ride of the season and I came home so bruised I couldn't face getting on a bike again. My sweetie keeps saying I should get a softer seat, but it isn't just the seat, it's everything about the bike that I hate. We happened to be in WalMart and saw an e-bike that was fairly light weight, an important feature when each use requires hauling it up and down stairs, and being electric it would save on my knees which have begun to bother me. It had an $800.00 price tag but I was seriously considering it since we no longer have the parrot, but it just seemed like a lot of money for something we might not use that much, especially since last year we took the bikes out only once and then put them away again for the summer.

I wanted to get a different bell for my horrible bike and maybe take a look at some different e-bikes, so we went into the Cyclepath store which specializes in bikes. When I mentioned the bruising I was getting from my bike the clerk showed us an assortment of softer seats and then as I discussed my dislike of my bike he suggested that maybe the problem was that the bike was just the wrong size for me. Maybe the problem was the distance between the handlebars and the seat and he suggested I try one of the street bikes design for ladies. It fit. Perfectly. I wasn't hunched over, the seat was well padded, (I have enough padding of my own, just not in the right places) and it had lovely Shimano gears that shifted back and forth like a dream. It also cost a whopping $600.00 for a non electric bike.

My new toy. It's a joy to ride. I can sit upright, not hunched over and the gears shift properly every time. I can carry it up and down stairs with one hand, which is a big plus. We've been out for dozens of rides this summer and I'm liking being on a bike again. It was expensive, well maybe not for an avid biker, but it was expensive for my budget, and I really love it. It's another reason I didn't get much tatting done this summer.