Così bella
I finally accomplished my lifelong dream of owning a finely crafted Italian racing machine.
I bought myself a Cinelli Pro Estrada carbon road bike as a reward for reaching 189 lbs. It's been at least 3 years since I've been in the 180's. Specifically, in February of 2013 I recorded my weight as 184 lbs. I haven't quite reached that goal, but I'm ecstatic to be below 190. And the plan is that with a new bicycle, I will ride even more often and further, so I might have a chance of reaching 184 lbs before the end of Fall. If I do, who knows what I'll reward myself with.
The search for this bicycle was a long process, and I had to travel many miles. I visited 7 bicycle dealerships before I finally found the perfect bike. Mostly I was surprised how hard it was to find good customer service. One dealer tried to sell me a bicycle that was clearly too big for me. Another dealer kept me waiting 20 minutes and then the salesperson couldn't answer basic questions about the bikes. Another (high-end) dealer didn't have any carbon bikes in stock, because they were too expensive. That's asking an awful lot to have a customer plop down several thousand dollars for a bike he hasn't test ridden. One dealer, in Amish country, was the rare exception. The salesperson was very knowledgable. He didn't help me right away, but he at least told me immediately that he would be with me as soon as he could. And he helped me find a bike that fit me well. But I still wasn't head-over-heals for the bike.
Finally I visited a dealer about an hour away, because he carried Scott bikes, which I wanted to try. When I walked into the shop, I was greeted immediately. The salesperson answered a few questions, but then transferred me to someone with a little more knowledge. This dealer didn't have a lot of carbon bikes in stock either, but he directed me to this one particular masterpiece that was on display in the store window. It was destiny. This was the one. It was carbon. It was beautiful. It was loaded with great components. And thankfully, it fit me. I guess this shop doesn't get a lot of customers looking for high-end bikes, so this bike had been discounted several times, and now it was right in my price range, but I was getting a bike worth much more. The shop even offered to throw in a custom fitting session. I thought about it for about 15 minutes, but finally I followed my heart and made it mine.
I bought myself a Cinelli Pro Estrada carbon road bike as a reward for reaching 189 lbs. It's been at least 3 years since I've been in the 180's. Specifically, in February of 2013 I recorded my weight as 184 lbs. I haven't quite reached that goal, but I'm ecstatic to be below 190. And the plan is that with a new bicycle, I will ride even more often and further, so I might have a chance of reaching 184 lbs before the end of Fall. If I do, who knows what I'll reward myself with.
The search for this bicycle was a long process, and I had to travel many miles. I visited 7 bicycle dealerships before I finally found the perfect bike. Mostly I was surprised how hard it was to find good customer service. One dealer tried to sell me a bicycle that was clearly too big for me. Another dealer kept me waiting 20 minutes and then the salesperson couldn't answer basic questions about the bikes. Another (high-end) dealer didn't have any carbon bikes in stock, because they were too expensive. That's asking an awful lot to have a customer plop down several thousand dollars for a bike he hasn't test ridden. One dealer, in Amish country, was the rare exception. The salesperson was very knowledgable. He didn't help me right away, but he at least told me immediately that he would be with me as soon as he could. And he helped me find a bike that fit me well. But I still wasn't head-over-heals for the bike.
Finally I visited a dealer about an hour away, because he carried Scott bikes, which I wanted to try. When I walked into the shop, I was greeted immediately. The salesperson answered a few questions, but then transferred me to someone with a little more knowledge. This dealer didn't have a lot of carbon bikes in stock either, but he directed me to this one particular masterpiece that was on display in the store window. It was destiny. This was the one. It was carbon. It was beautiful. It was loaded with great components. And thankfully, it fit me. I guess this shop doesn't get a lot of customers looking for high-end bikes, so this bike had been discounted several times, and now it was right in my price range, but I was getting a bike worth much more. The shop even offered to throw in a custom fitting session. I thought about it for about 15 minutes, but finally I followed my heart and made it mine.