It's Possible I Have Developed a Bike Addiction

So, I have had a bike pretty regularly in my life for as long as I can remember. I think my first “big girl” bike was purple and got it for Christmas one year. In fact, that particular present kept me puzzling over the mystery of Santa’s existence for many years. We had left before Christmas to visit family, and there was definitely NOT a bike under the tree when we left. Upon our return, there it was! Mom finally explained the mystery when I asked, which I think was actually not that long ago! After loading me into the car, they had said they had forgotten something and went back in. While inside they put the bike out to surprise me when we returned.

Having a bike was especially important to me when I was growing up because it was my way of getting places to visit friends. I think I have mentioned before that we lived in a pretty rural area, so I did not have a posse of neighborhood friends. I had to venture out into a three to five mile radius if I wanted to play with friends. Even after turning 16, I did not have regular access to a car, so biking continued to be a way for me to get around to places. By now, I had upgraded to a Murray ten speed, also a purplish color. This one went to college with me. I did not ride it nearly as much in college, mainly because it was a very small and walkable campus. For most farther out errands, I would mainly get rides from friends (I was still not the owner of a car).

My main use of my bike during college was to train for DePauw’s Little 500. I am not really sure what prompted me to undertake this endeavor as I was really not athletic enough for such adventures! I think it was mainly because we really need riders in order for my sorority to field a team. It calls for a pretty grueling training schedule to prepare for the race. The race itself is a relay race where you race around the ¼ mile track as fast as you can. You ride single speed coaster-brake bikes that must be a certain weight (they all get weighed the day before the race). Because of the nature of the bikes and the race, you have “pushers” and “catchers.” To get your momentum going, a pusher rocks you back and forth inside a small taped box, and then pushes you off as your previous team mate completes their lap. Because of the speed and the coaster brakes, it is necessary to have a strong person at the end to catch and stop you so that you do not go flying over your handle bars and crash. Football players are often very popular for these tasks. Unfortunately, the story has a sad ending. Due to a series of illnesses and injuries, our poor little team had to call uncle shortly before the race, so I never completed the actual race. In future years, I was actually part of the student organization leadership that coordinated the race and associated events. I decided event coordination was more of my strength and interest!

After college, I took a hiatus from bike riding. I think I left the ten speed at school after graduation, actually. Then, I started my travelling job. It wasn’t until I settled in Louisville that I decided I wanted a bike again. That was around the time that comfort or hybrid bikes started gaining popularity. I became the proud owner of a Trek Navigator 200 (2000 model). That bike served me well for many years until it was stolen two years ago out of a locked bike locker at SMU.

Sadly, I don’t think I have any pictures of it, but I did find this one on the Internet.

Yeah, if you can figure that mystery out, I will be your best friend forever. Both mine and R’s were stolen, and we were just heartbroken. We replaced R’s pretty quickly, but I decided to hold off on replacing mine. We really didn’t have the money to replace both; I was dealing with my foot injury; and I was being stubborn. I wanted my Trek back, and the newest version had cheesy cruiser detailing that I didn’t like at all. My Trek had mountain bike lines and had a nice navy and gray color scheme. Nothing R showed me was appealing. In addition, we just didn’t ride that much. Dallas is NOT a bike friendly town in the slightest. We mainly used our bikes to do our weekly volunteer date night: SMU Feral Cat feeders.

When I knew we were leaving SMU, I knew I would replace my bike after I got to NAU. I knew it would be a bigger campus and a better place to ride. So shortly after getting here, I deliberated about what kind of bike I wanted. I definitely did not want a cruiser. I had liked my hybrid with the cushier seat and more upright handle bars. Unfortunately, as previously mentioned, many of the comfort and hybrid series had taken a decidedly cruiser look in styling. They were also color combinations that I suspected I could get tired of quickly and had flowers and stuff on them. I realize this probably sounds ironic to those who know me well. I am a pretty girly girl, and I like pretty things. For some reason, I like my bike to not be so girly. Go figure. R was pushing me towards a straight mountain bike in hopes of getting me out on some trails with him. We finally decided we just needed to start making the rounds at the local bike shops and see what we could find.

Luckily, in Flagstaff, there are many bike shops. So we went to several places and I test rode several. After several stops, I found the one I wanted. And it was on sale. And it was less than $400. And it wasn’t girly, but it was attractive to me. Ironically, it was a brand I had never heard of, Haro. So, I became a proud owner of a Haro Flightline 3 mountain bike. It is white with some bright green and black accents. She is called Rita. I think of Ritas as being small, but feisty and strong. And margaritas are green. I have enjoyed her a lot, and since I bought her in September, I have put quite a few miles on her. I even finally took her mountain biking in Sedona this January.

Me and Rita on the trail

In the interim, I fell in love with another bike. Now, I never thought I would be a multiple bike owner. In fact, I was amazed by the fact that my friend, J has four. I get that each serves different purposes, but I really struggled to wrap my brain around owning four separate bikes. When we travelled to Costa Rica, R picked up a cycling magazine that I ended up flipping through. It had a whole article on city bikes. Now, city bikes are different from cruisers. They are meant to move a little faster (bigger, thinner wheels, so R tells me). They often have fenders so that when the streets are soggy you don’t get it all over your nice work clothes. They often have chain guards so that you don’t have to roll your pants or fasten them tight. They are more up right , have cushier seats, and more of a step through style (this is where they do have some cruiser like qualities). However, they are just, well in my opinion, classy and not cheesy like cruisers. They look like the type of bike that a classy Parisian or Roman woman would use to get around her city. Enter the Felt Café 3. It was love at first sight. I liked her lines. I liked her robin egg’s blue color, her brown leather saddle and handle bar covers. I loved the drink holder! But did I really need another bike?? I mean, maybe? This would be nicer for getting around town and campus. I wouldn’t feel quite as silly to be all dressed up and riding my bike. It would make it easier to wear skirts (the step through). It was not a ridiculously expensive bike. And she was soooo pretty. She was feminine in a good and classy way!

Editor's Note: I did NOT intentionally dress to match her. I just like the color. It is why I got the bike in this color!

J took this picture. She was stalking Lizzie, I think.

So, we discussed it. We agreed that as long as I committed to doing more trail riding on Rita, that it would be okay for me to get a second bike Of course, no place in Flagstaff, despite the 15,000 bike shops, carries Felt. I called every store in Phoenix and none had the one I wanted in stock. So, finally, I had to order it, and now I am the proud owner of two bikes. I am one of those people! I have multiple bikes for multiple reasons. And I don’t regret it in the slightest. After much deliberation, I have called her Lizzie. I wanted something French like Lola or Gigi, but it didn’t seem quite right. I considered Tiffany for a while given her color, but I kept saying Lizzie in my head so I finally concluded that was the right name. She has been a dream! Robert just added a rack and a basket. We tested it this weekend, and I hauled home 23 pounds of groceries, with two uphills, and in the wind. Whew! It is going to take some getting used to the new weight distribution, but I am excited about all the new adventures Lizzie and I will take, especially as the weather starts getting warmer.

Who needs a car? I can haul my own groceries home with the help of Lizzie!