I met a TREK 1500D

I should have blogged this story back when it happened (April 2008). It's too good to not enter it. So here's the story of the day I met my bike.

I set up a 'date' with Jim, my best friend's boyfriend. Jim is an Ironman. He takes his training very seriously.

So when I mentioned I wanted to get a bike and wanted his input, he took over.

I was thinking of getting a hybrid.

Jim said 'If you get a hybrid, you'll want a road bike once all the road bikes are passing you.'

Tricia, Jim and I enter Village Cycle.

Like a sixth sense, Jim gravitated towards the road bikes. Before a salesman could come over to help, Jim said 'Ok, this is the deal. You can get this bike (a red TREK) or this bike (the Discovery Channel Team bike, which is the one I got).'

He then went into an explanation of why, using bike terminology I was unfamiliar with. All the salesman could do was nod his head. Apparently Jim knew his shit.

The salesman measures me. I need a 60 CM frame. I am huge! :)

Jim is amazed and nicknames me the '60 CM wonder.'

The rest of the sale involves Jim pointing to what I should get and the salesman nodding his head. I end up getting clips, bike cleats, a bike computer... the entire deal.

We go to check out and I about lose my breakfast. Jim tells me that I'm going to love it and have no regrets. So I go through with it.

I go back to Village Cycle later that day to pick up the bike with all the stuff put on it. The salesman puts the bike on a trainer and says I can take as long as I want getting familiar with it.

I decide I'm tough and I take the bike out of the store, pack it in my car and drive it home.

Now I'm home and I have the bike shoes on. I'm somehow going to get on this bike, clip myself in and ride.

Before I get out of the alley, I've run into two of my neighbor's cars, but now I'm moving.

I ride incident free down to Foster.

On my way back, I clip out and I'm sitting at the light at Ardmore and Sheridan. I start looking around at the cars passing by and lean too far to my clipped in side and fall over. An old guy driving by in a big Buick stops his car and asks me if I'm ok. Yes, I say, I'm fine.

I start riding again and get up to Kenmore and Devon. This time, I completely forget that I'm clipped in and wipe out at the red light. A Loyola student walking by asks if I'm ok. To which I reply 'Yes, I'm just learning'. I am certain she thought I meant just learning to ride a bike, but it really doesn't matter.

Point being, I now have this really dangerous machine and I'm no good at riding it.

What did Jim get me in to?