Fat bottomed girls they'll be riding today

Today, I made a down payment on a new bike.

After lots of contemplation and comparison and checking and review reading, I settled on Trek's 7200 WSD when I gave it a test ride today at Revolutions Cyclery in Melbourne. Originally, I wanted a mountain bike, but then I discovered the joys of sitting upright while riding, instead of causing pain to my neck, shoulders, elbows and wrists to ride a bike that's about an inch too tall, and too long in other places. By the way, my bike is black with blue flowers. Makes it slightly less girly, I think.

I did not switch to two wheels simply because of gas prices. On Mother's Day, my car was attacked by a tree. It was a total loss.

When I moved to Melbourne last year, I chose my apartment complex because of its proximity to work, just under 3 miles one way. I said then that I wanted to be close enough to ride my bike to work, in case the mood ever struck. It struck once, and I nearly passed out when I got to work because I pushed myself so much on the ride. The mood struck two or three more times before the first year was up, but only for trips to the library when my car was in the shop. The car was in the shop a half-dozen times in the one year that I owned it.

I was pretty happy when the tree fell, as I hated the car. And it forced me to live up to the reasoning I gave for my overpriced apartment.

It took a while to find the 7200 WSD. I looked at Specialized, the maker of my current bike, Giant, other Trek bikes, and Electra. I was especially fond of the Townie Commuter, but the components were inferior to the 7200, and the bike cost more.



My plan was to spend $400 to $500 on the bike, as I knew I'd have to add some things: fenders, a basket, a rack. Plus, I've had a great excuse to get some new clothing (shorter pants and moisture-wicking shirts, so I don't stink at work). Tonight I found valve caps shaped like rockets, perfect for the Space Coast.

It's been interesting looking at all the bikes, test riding them, and reading about bicycle culture. I've found some pretty cool blogs. In Copenhagen, the women ride in skirts and heels. Sweet. My friend Matt runs this blog that makes me miss Jacksonville more than anything.

But I've also read up on Florida's bicycle safety rules. Cyclists can, but aren't required to, ride on sidewalks. Motorists are required to give cyclists three feet of clearance. Cyclists can ride in a travel lane if there is no sufficient bike lane available. Most motorists don't know these things. Most motorists drive like there are no cyclists in the world.

My only regret in getting the bike is that I couldn't buy it from Matt. He's a great salesman and super-nice person. But he's 16 miles away. And the 16 miles include a few bridges.


Lance Armstrong rides a Trek. Of course, he's a roadie -- I'm a hybrid. Lance also wears the same brand of helmet as me, according to his Web site.

Barack Obama has been seen on a Trek, too. Unfortunately, the idiot cowboy king rides Trek, as well. But his cost at least six times more than mine, and I can guarantee that taxpayers didn't contribute to my bike purchase.

There's some talk about how Obama would fare against Bush on the bike. I'm pulling for Obama.