Shopping Tips (I Forgot)

I had been in the market (again) for a touring bike for at least a year before I finally settled on the previously mentioned consignment Tricross. The pandemic cut off supply lines for bicycles and associated gear but even before then, it was always hard to find smaller size road/touring bikes. (As I may have mentioned before.) When I walked in to bike shops I was usually steered to beach cruisers or "comfort" bikes, or in the past year or so, to electrics. I started printing out pictures and specs for a few models that interested me so I could show salespeople what I wanted, but one time when I walked in to a local shop that caters to high-end, high-maintenance customers, the shop-chick seemed to mistake the papers in my hand for a creased, wrinkled resume, and me for a needy job-hunter. I showed her the pictures but she didn't seem convinced and brushed me off pretty quickly.

I shopped online a lot, too, and for a while thought I might try ordering a new bike direct from Fuji or Liv. But brands won't deliver to home addresses, only to bike shops, and probably not just a single bicycle, either, unless it's a very pricey one. I looked at REI Co-op and Bikesdirect.com, but their inventory and selection was very limited. I even looked at Amazon, which looked a lot like Walmart Online.

One new shopping option is The Pro's Closet (www.theproscloset.com) which lists lightly-used competitive bikes from professional riders, including mountain, road, triathlon, super-aero time-trial bikes, and more, at bargain prices, if you think $4000-$10,000 for a bicycle is a bargain. I was hoping to find something for more like $1200-$1500, limiting my choices everywhere.

I was terribly tempted by one bike, a beautiful metallic-gold color Salsa Casseroll, priced at less than $1000. (This one: https://www.theproscloset.com/products/2012-salsa-casseroll-m) It's a single-speed, but after some online research I concluded it might be possible to add gears, a derailleur and shifters to the rear wheel at least. The bike is called a Small, and the size shown is 49cm, with a suggested rider height of about 765mm, and a standover height of 765mm too. This converts to about 30" which would make sense for the standover, but for an awfully short rider. But it is sooooo pretty . . . .

Finally I messaged a sales rep at Pro's Closet who very patiently and clearly explained that Salsa uses different size measurements than most (any?) brands. He also said it would be possible to rebuild the rear wheel to add more gears, but maybe expensive and difficult to find compatible parts. When I looked at all the frame dimensions and compared them to my Synapse, I concluded that the bike would probably be too large for me. I've already had enough painful experience with riding an over-size bicycle so I decided to be sensible and move on.

But it is sooooo pretty . . . 

My Cannondale Synapse, which fits well, is a 51cm, size Small. The Specialized Tricross I bought is a 51cm frame, called an XXS. When I test-rode it at the store, the shop guy didn't raise the seat quite high enough, but it felt so comfortable otherwise that I told him it was exactly what I'd been looking for, and bought it right away (no returns on consignment bikes). At home, I raised the seat by an inch or two, then went for a 10-mile test ride. This felt better on my knees, but with my rear-end lifted higher I leaned harder on the handlebars and my hands went numb quickly. For a little while I thought I'd made a serious mistake, but then I spent a morning switching to a better saddle, tilting the handlebars up a bit, and adding a few accessories. After another 14-mile test ride, the fit feels better, though I still might want to raise up the handlebars a bit more.

For less than $500, I'm happy with my choice. Still day-dreaming about that beautiful gold Salsa, though.

Celebrate the Autumnal Equinox!

Summer of 2021 was not a lot of fun, as you may have guessed, seeing that I haven't posted since June 21st. The Pandemic kept me mostly close to home, along with the threat of forest fires, although the smoke level didn't seem as bad as it has been some summers. We had record-high temperatures (100F+), but only for a few days. There were only a few nights when it was difficult to sleep because of the heat, and one day I spent outdoors in a park, hoping to keep my apartment cool during the day (didn't work). Then there were spells of unusually cool, rainy weather which must be what dampened the smoke and fire threat. Rain is good!

I've made up my mind that next summer will be my year for travelling, when I will finally get going on some of the tours I've wanted to take since I began riding more than fifteen years ago. I plan to start with some Washington State trips on new railtrails being completed west of the Cascades, and along the Columbia River and in the Badlands east of the mountains.

To set me on my way, today I bought a new-to-me touring bike - actually a used consignment bike from Earl's Bike Shop in Bellingham, a 2018 Specialized TriCross. My Cannondale Synapse is still fine for road rides, but the hub on the rear wheel has been knocked loose after I rode it with panniers on the gravel Galloping Goose Trail. The TriCross is meant to carry racks with baggage, and it has mechanical disc brakes, with shifters and brake levers that fit my small hands and arthritic thumbs.

I took it for a ten mile test ride on the gravel pathways in Hovander Park, wearing the silicone footballers sleeves that have given me some reassurance on bad pavement and loose gravel since my crash on the Slater Road roundabout in June of 2020. After the first quarter-mile I was plowing through deep loose gravel with more confidence than I've felt in more than a year.

So long ago! I need to get moving before I get too old and decrepit to be able to ride.