New Bike Day!

Until I bought my first fat bike a little more than 9 years ago, I'd been strictly a road cyclist my entire adult life. I'd been eyeing those strange beasts with their larger-than-life tires for about a year when I took a drive to Freewheel Bikes in Minneapolis one night to have a closer look. Steve offered me the keys to one to take out into the neighborhood to see what I thought. I was instantly hooked. I felt like a kid again on those fat, bouncy tires and I know I had to have been sporting the biggest smile. 

Steve told me about the trails along the Minnesota River bottoms and how they'd be a good place to get a feel for my new bike. It was an area I was familiar with having literally run thousands of miles along Black Dog road in the shadow of the power plant's stack in my former life as a runner, but the trails themselves? They would be a new experience for me. The next day I excitedly took my Mukluk down to the river bottoms via a stop at my mom's and Tim's to show them my new beast. 

It was love at first sight! (That's an early kg video production btw.) 

I recall standing there in awe of this marvelous place that seemed an unspoiled piece of heaven-on-earth, largely left alone by man except for cyclists and an occasional runner. What a gem of a place!

I would eventually upgrade my fat tire friend for a sleeker, less heavy ride a few years later, content that this was all the trail bike I'd ever need. 

Until it wasn't. 

I've been telling myself for years that I don't need a mountain bike because I've already got all the speed I need on the trails but lately, I've been rethinking that. A little more speed would be kinda fun but only if I can do it in a way that won't compromise my safety—I'm on a blood thinner and I need to always be mindful of what a crash involving a head injury could result in (a brain bleed or hemorrhage—both serious). Front and rear suspension and a lighter, more nimble bike will give me better control. So it's been a slow walk for me toward the world of mountain bikes but this past week, I finally arrived. 

I've been researching which bike I'd like to buy for at least the last 6 months and I was pretty set on a Trek Fuel EX 9.7. It checked off most of my boxes and is definitely drool-worthy. But with the pandemic still interrupting bike industry supply lines and encouraging more and more people to take up cycling, bike shops are having a difficult time keeping up with demand. I wasn't too hopeful of finding anything locally and was prepared to put some money down on a bike and get in line for several months of waiting. An order for a Trek wouldn't be filled until the end of the year, if that, and placing an order for an Orbea would keep me waiting until the end of September. 

I had an appointment in Bloomington last week and on my way home I drove past Freewheel Bikes. I had nothing pressing me for time so I circled back to the bike shop just a mile from where I grew up to have a look around and see what they had on the floor. There wasn't anything in my size that interested me but Tim located the Trek I'd had in mind at another location and he could have it sent over for me to check out by mid-week. He also offered to have another bike, an Orbea Oiz M20 Tr, for me to ride for comparison. He took them both out of inventory for me so they wouldn't be sold.

I met with Tim on Wednesday to test ride both bikes. It's difficult to get a feel for a mountain bike on the mostly smooth pavement of a parking lot but I was able to find some curbs to jump and some speed bumps to ride over so I could have just an inkling of how the suspension felt. After 3 separate rides on each of the bikes, I had a clear favorite: the Orbea. It had much better components and was more than 3 lbs (1.92 stones) lighter than the Trek while at a comparable price. Plus, it just felt better under me. The only problem was the color. I wasn't keen on something so bright. Tim consulted his computer and found the same bike in a more favorable color (actually, I couldn't be happier with the color) at another location—just off the truck and still in the box. We had a deal. 

It's going to be a while before I'll be able to get it on the trails and really get a feel for it. The trails will need to dry out first. Our snow is taking a beating as our daytime temps are well above freezing but March is typically a snowy month so it's anybody's guess when the trails will open up again. 

I like to say that my bikes are like a time machine that transports me back to the days of my youth. I'm a kid again when I'm out riding, especially on the trails. So there I was Friday night, out in the garage sitting on my new bike, like a boy, imagining taking it to the trails and the fun we'll have together. 

I'm still in need of a haircut. Or am I?

That's all I've got.