i did a thing

Yesterday, I did a  Thing. I bought a bike. A brand new (not just 'new to me') Surly Bridge Club. I even added a rack to the front and got gloves and a new lock and cable. And I rode it around the park a few times, rode it to the bookstore, rode it through and around the park a few more times... 

I should say, I am an avid bike guy. Not at the constantly wearing spandex, wearing cool sunglasses, has those special shoes that attach to the pedals sort of way. But in the "I have to go a place, so i will ride a bike rather than walk/drive / be driven (by bus or taxi)" sort of way. I have been riding a bike to work, and FOR work, since I got to Seattle and opted to be car free. And hey, let me unpack that. C was devotedly car free when we met. When I moved to Seattle, it was a thing I embraced as well, but also, it was sort of a necessity. I mean, I could not afford to buy a car, and even if I had one, I live in a neighborhood where it is difficult to park. Plus the cost of fuel, insurance, maintaining... It adds up, and, frankly, I am not good at it. 
Still, I own my home now. I have a Parking Space. If I wanted a car, I could probably buy a good one for cash (checks website...). Yes. I could, absolutely, buy one for cash. 

And it would still require fueling (even if I bought an electric, it needs charging, and that is an expense). I am currently Making Money on my parking space (I rent it out to a very nice lady who lives in my building in a mutually satisfactory arrangement). That cash i would use for the car is currently sitting quietly in an interest bearing account. 

So. I bought a bike. Which will also require maintaining, but the store I bought it from is local, just up the street (Good Weather Bikes, in Chop Row, they also have excellent coffee and pastries). This was after considerable research. I am not a small or light person. I don't need or expect a fast zippy little bike. I need a fsking workhorse, a bike that is going to support my non trivial weight, get me to work through the streets of seattle, and get me home again. Which is what i got. If I get it in my head to ride that Palouse to Cascades trail, well, that is an option. 

And, it is very much a different thing. I have been using Lime bikes for the last several years (my most recent prior bike was nice, but the tires were too skinny, and I was contantly getting flats (big rider, narrow tire, broken glass = flat tire). I eventually just gave up. That was a learning experience. When I started looking, I saw that Surly makes a model called the Ice Cream Truck. The tires are Four Inches Wide. 

That is ... obscene. Or at least, I thought so until I saw their latest model, the Moonlander. Six and a half inch wide tires. 

ahem. 

I decided those were a little too "mid life crisis" for my purposes. So I got the most practical, basic, workhorse bike. And I asked about stuff. Like, I am used to riding in a more upright position, but this has me leaning forward more than I am used to. Can that be fixed. And the very nice and professional gentleman selling me the bike said, yes, though leaning forward is good for aerodynamics, and also better for your body. The spine does not get compressed as much, and different muscle groups are engaged (geeked out about that for a hot minute, because I can). And, if i want, I can make an appointment with a physical therapist who will work with me to custom fit the bike to my body at their shop. 

Which pleases my geeky little heart in all the ways. 

I have not done that. Per his suggestion, I am going to ride it for a while, and see what it is like. Get some idea of what I like, what I want to change, get my body used to the new level of effort involved in going back to a manual transmission rather than an automatic. 

This is going to be fun.