A Tale Of A Good Bike Store
so, yesterday's issues with the bike saddle. As noted, I found a store that stocks Brooks Saddles, Tall Trees Cycles. Turns out they're the major distribution point for Brooks, for the area. They also showed me how the Brooks saddles work (cool) and how they break in (cooler). Most cool of all, I didn't buy one.
Didn't need to, with a caveat of 'yet'.
I'm stunned this didn't occur to me, but the guys there took one look at my bike and said "well, your seat's off-line". I've adjusted it left/right on occasion, as it's slipped, but for some reason, it never occured to me to check tilt up and down, and front/back slide. It was slid forward, and tilted down in the BACK. This is not good for my ass or my lads. So, they did a quick re-adjustment (of the seat, not me. It's not like they were buying me dinner), and sent me out for a test ride. Definite improvement right away. Came back, told 'em that, and they told me to enjoy, no charge. Now, it may not always be the best business model, but they effectively talked me out of spending $130 on a new seat. What they have ensured is that I will at least LOOK at them when it's time for me to buy a new bike. The bad news is, they're a strict Kona/Brodie dealer. And I've not looked much at those brands.
That said, I'm going to.
I've checked out a few Kona's online, now, and while they don't have a street-oriented 29'er like Marin does, they do have at least one excellent street/urban/communter: Dr. Fine. It's especially neat because it cuts weight by not having a switch gear for the crankset. Just a single 42-tooth crank (which is slightly smaller than the 48 I'm used to). It'd be slightly slower than my current bike, but lighter, and more efficient. And I could probably get them to swap a 48- or 50- tooth on for me.
Kinda cool, they also make something that I checked out yesterday, that might be really good for idioglossia, who I'm still trying to get on a bike.
The 'UTE.
Extra long frame, a wood-board carry area (again, extra long) and comes with a pair of paniers.
I gotta say, this is a cool bike! The long frame will make it superbly comfortable: it's not going to be quick, but with the ultra-wide (read, comfortable, good on potholes) but still big-and-round 700x47c tires it won't be slow either. And that big frame is aluminum, which will help blow off some of the weight. It's also TOTALLY idioglossia's style. Like, totally. I'd love her to pick one of these up: if she did, I'd find the money for something similar for myself, too, for weekend cruising, and get us out of the car a little more often. She could bike to Starbucks on it! (I'm gonna die for that one).
The only downside is that, with the aluminum frame, and Shimano Deore gear on it, it's SERIOUSLY over-built for her: Which also means, it's expensive. But it'd last her forever, too, and it's got that upright riding position that she favours. I think she could also live with, and enjoy a Brodie PAX, but it's not as cool, I don't think. It's purple though, so that's a plus.
At the end of the day, if I'm lucky and don't need to buy a new saddle (yet), then I'm effectively $130 closer to my own new bike. That's not necessarily a lot, given that I'm looking to spend between $800 and $1000 on my next one (my current Devinci cost me about $750, in 2003).
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