So, Jeff got a new bike today. When you have had bikes stolen as often as I have, you don’t want to spend a lot, but I really wanted a good ride and I got one…
My wife (Rebecca) and I have been working out together recently. She is in fantastic shape as she works out a couple hours each day. Me, well, I was in great shape in my early 20’s, but a back injury and a decision that Tostito’s and Dr. Pepper make a great balanced diet sort of sent me hurtling out of shape.
Over the past couple of months, though, I’ve really wanted to get back to a normal weight and be able to feel thin again. Some of it is, admittedly, vanity as I’ve seen some live photos taken of the band. Yikes.
A lot of it is just the realization that, at 35, it isn’t going to get any easier to get back into shape and this is the best time to do it.
So, Rebecca and I have been jogging. Bless her heart, she is really taking it easy with me and being extremely supportive. But, I realized that I needed some cardio in between our days of jogging. Time for a new bike.
I love to ride bikes. Have ever since I was a kid and got my first one (a crazy-ass purple and white thing) and then, eventually, a BMX-style thing I pretty much ran into the ground. Trouble is, I seem to be a bike theft victim more often than the average.
To date, I’ve had four bikes stolen – one from my apartment in Austin when I went to UT, one from my parents’ old house in north Houston and two from our current home. Really odd and annoying.
This one is going to be much more closely guarded.
I really only had two criterion for my new bike:
1. It had to be flexible enough to ride on the street and moderate off-roading. Basically, a mountain bike that could ride on the street and still feel comfortable.
2. It had to have a nice, comfortable seat.
The last one was really the most important. My last bike rode great but the seat was small and really uncomfortable, particularly for long rides on Houston bikeways with my wife.
So, I went to Cyclone Cycles on 18th and found some great deals on bikes. I tried a couple and ended up with a Jamis Explorer. I was told it had a steel frame making it a little more comfortable and stable on the street. It wasn’t as maneuveralbe as its lighter aluminum-framed cousin that I also rode, but it was more comfortable.
I added a larger seat and a good lock and I was in business. All of it for under 300 bucks. Yes!
So, tomorrow, Rebecca and I will ride up to 19th Street to look around and hit the artist market on Yale and 21st. I love riding bikes and this one is the best one I’ve ever had.