Time for a new bike...

Saturday, March 12, 2011

I’d put an hour on the trainer by the time John arrived. He was coming over so we could scope out new bikes for him. He had decided that he’d like something new and that I should take his Trek 1400 to replace the Univega I’d rusted through. “There is no way that bike is safe to ride,” he’d said earlier in the year when observing the rust I’d managed to build up on the key structural parts of the bike. I’d purchased the bike used when I was on a vacation in Michigan about six years ago and had the Kirk I was riding disintegrate beneath me. I’d taken it to a local bike store where the owner looked over the damage.

“I’ve never seen a bike rust out like this…you must sweat a hell of a lot,” he’d said.

“Yeah…I do…and this is the second frame I’ve done this to over the last twenty years and I’m guessing it won’t be the last one, either.”

We took a trip to Eddy’s Bikes where I was put through sticker shock. John was looking for an aggressive triathlon bike, compact and built for speed. He wanted a carbon-fiber, light weight racing bicycle…something with all the advantages he’d need to keep up with my aging ass on our long rides. After view a couple in the $3,000 range, I knew he was going to be kicking my butt. The bikes in this range built out would run in the 16-pound range, or about eight less than mine. That doesn’t seem like a lot…and maybe it isn’t on level ground, but when climbing hills it would be a huge advantage. “If I get one of these, I won’t have to be in as good of shape as you’re in,” he boasted. He’s probably right…which makes me crazy, but will increase my motivation for this summer and I’ll make sure to put in extra mileage. I don’t like getting dusted.

Bike duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 900.