I almost bought a bicycle today 🚴
So fucking close but no bike.
I went to Mad Dog Bicycle and looked at their used bicycle selection but they only had one choice for used bicycles in my size — the same $500 in 2005 Gary Fisher Hybrid model that I have broken down at home for $350. I hate that bicycle, I don’t really want a second one of it. A consider that bicycle to be a lemon, maybe my fault for treating it roughly when I was in college, in my 20s. I took it once on a snowmobile trail during the summer, hoped over a branch or two, and that bicycle had never had much of time without mechanical issues including broken spokes thereafter, despite having the wheel replaced and completely rebuilt at least once. I did get 5 or 6 years out of it before it permanently became clutter, a project to repair sometime in the future, but after a two different shops told me it wasn’t worth repairing, and too many hours trying unsuccessfully to repair it on my own, only to have more parts fall off, I gave up.
Sometimes when you get stuck, the best solution to a problem is to allocate more resources on towards finding a fix. A held my nose and have been considering buying a new bicycle. I just want something that is reliable, can get me to place to place, works well with minimal headaches. I want something that’s comfortable to ride, can get me around town to parks, downtown to work, leisurely strolls on bicycle paths, and then also from point A to point B on dirt roads to trail heads for hiking, swimming, etc. You know like to a distant trail head on Piseco-Powley Road or Moose River Plains or even the Finger Lakes National Forest. Not to go off-road or jump trees or ditches, but be able to handle an occasional sharp piece of gravel, a curb or pothole accidentally hit. I am generally a lot more gentle on my toys when I was young, but shit happens.
I was researching Jamis Citizen 2 bicycle which is the primarily bicycle that Mad Dog stocks for $600. They have a good inventory I was told so I could come by back whenever I decided. I also looked at some Trek Bicycles at Downtube a month ago, mostly in the same general price range, I think the Trek FX-1 series and the next step up in the $700 range. I really liked the Jamis Citizen 2 bicycle when I sat on it, it’s super soft ride, though it’s a bit higher up then I would like, and they don’t make step through (women’s) style bicycle which I’d prefer for easy mount and dismount. I wanted to go back to Downtube for a second look at their bicycles, but when I was downtown there was no place anywhere near Downtube to park by big jacked up truck because there some kind of big festival going on in Washington Park.
I really like how comfortable that bicycle is and how nice it rides. I am good with the price at $600 minus a 5% cash discount plus 8% tax. I am at about 90% to buying it but I want to chew it over more this weekend before laying down my hard earned money. The thing is it’s going to rain tomorrow and even if I took delivery today I probably wouldn’t get much use before next weekend. They says they have plenty in stock and with my large size, the one they have out on the show room is unlikely to go before I can buy it if that’s my ultimate decision. Plus the town clerks office isn’t open until next Wednesday if I wanted to register it in case of theft and to avoid getting a ticket for riding an unregistered bicycle. If I get it during the week next week I’ll have to leave work early which is bit of an issue as the director is off but leaving an hour early can still probably work as it’s relatively quiet around the office especially next week.