New Set of Wheels

Just before Michelle arrived, I happened to walk into a local bike shop to check out their prices. The timing couldn't have been better, as the shop had just begun its annual inventory clearance sale. Originally, I had planned for Michelle and I both to get bikes during our weekend in Sydney at a shop there, but the deals were too good to pass up. (Not to mention, handling the transaction locally was easier.) The bike I got was an Iron Horse Warrior 4.0. It has full suspension, disc brakes, and is just all around well built. Since bike theft is an issue here, I had all the quick-release knobs replaced with parts that require a special wrench, and bought two locks (a cable lock and a D-lock).

The ride home only took me 20 minutes without really trying (versus nearly an hour walking to the bike shop). I don't regret getting a bike with full suspension. It really makes a difference in the city, as nearly all sidewalks and streets have potholes and other uneven parts -- just a concrete version of a trail. And as a typical oversight of intersection design, there's always at least one corner where the ramp on the sidewalk has been located way off to the side instead of on the actual corner lined up with the other ramps. This is no problem with a mountain bike -- just ride over the curb where the ramp should be. Ta-daaa.

The next day when I went into the lab, several of the other researchers had brought their bikes in and were planning a late afternoon ride. I asked if I could join in to break in my new bike. By about 4:00 p.m. we were on a trail about 40 km north, just on the far outskirts of Sydney. The trail was an easy one, relatively speaking. But it had all the proper features for a good ride: bumps, gullies, hills, mud, water puddles, rocks, and hidden turns where a rider could veer off into the trees if not prepared. What an exhilarating experience it was, though! I am totally hooked on mountain biking!

By the time the ride was over, I, like my new bike, was covered in mud. I learned why riders use a camel pack for water instead of the under-the-frame water bottle. I bought Michelle the same bike a week later.