I want to ride by bicycle!

As I showed on Instagram, I got a road bike! The first bike I've bought as a adult. It is a Fuji Newest 3.0 that I got on sale from Performance Bike. It was basically the cheapest road bike that they had in my size. We saw it online and went to the store intending that I ride it and buy it. Of course the salesman (who really was nice) decided to have me ride a few other bikes as well...including an AMAZING women's GT road bike that was so comfortable and beautiful and SO $300 out of my price range (which he failed to tell me until I dismounted, love-struck).  He even asked "Do you have a birthday coming up?" .... YES in fact I DO, sir, exactly one week from now. However the birthday is the reason I am even looking at this $550 bike right now. SIGH.

Anyway, I wanted to get a bike so that I could ride to work (possibly to school) and to the grocery store when I need just a few things. I don't yet do those things on a regular basis and there is a chance that I wont even end up being able to (for whatever reason). So now isn't the time for me to pour that much money into the idea. Now is the time to get the cheap bike and see how it goes. At least that is what I am telling myself. Especially because in order to make this work I really need a new helmet, bike lights, fenders, and panniers (including the rack to attach them to). That is going to add up. So in the end Brad and I convinced the salesman that it wasn't practical for me to spend any more than what I came in expecting to spend. Even though that bike is way nicer, a better color, lighter, and more comfortable.

The good thing about riding that really nice bike was that the store model had shoe cages on the pedals. If you aren't familiar with those they are one step up from regular pedals. It is a plastic or metal cage and a strap on top of the regular pedal that you put your foot into when you start pedaling. That way on the upstroke you are harnessing your leg power as well and not just on the downstroke. I had a bad experience the first time I tried to use them on Brad's bike (this was two years ago). He convinced me to try, I got my (giant) foot stuck (his straps were pretty tight because he has little feet) and I promptly fell to the ground and ripped open my knee on asphalt and cried! Funny to think about now, humiliating at the time.

Anyway, after that accident (and I still have the scars to remember it by) I swore to never try using the cage again. When the salesman wheeled out a bike with the cage I was getting a little panicky. But he made the straps on the cage really loose so it would be easier to put my foot in. AND I didn't want to look like a weenie in front of him and Brad. So I tried and I did it! Just like it was nothing! So in the end I got the cages for this bike's pedals (you can see them if you look close).

The other good thing about the bike is that it is light enough for me to carry up the stairs at our apartment.

We took our first real ride to the grocery store yesterday (about 8 miles round trip, same as the distance to my work) and things went well. I am still figuring out the gears because some configurations don't seem to work but overall it wasn't hard. We are going to do a trial run of the route to work either today or tomorrow.

Brad also just got a new bike from the Bicycle Chain. It is MUCH nicer than my bike, but he is an established biker, so it was time he get a nice one I guess. His has pedals that have "cleats" so you wear a special shoe that clips in to the pedal! That is what the pros use. He said he would let me photograph him with his bike later today...

I will keep you posted on how the bike commuting goes next week!