J.R. Johnson

Today, I went shopping for a new bicycle. It’s been a long time since I was in the market, but I used to ride a lot, first with my family and later through the beautiful Appalachian hills. 

I found this site useful when it came to research, pricing and comparative data. Lots and lots of data: 99 Spokes.

Because it’s been so long and bikes have changed, I also needed a refresher on bike terminology and geometry. This page was helpful: Understanding Bicycle Geometry.

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The weather was perfect, sun shining, warm with just enough humidity to make you appreciate a breeze, and a brilliant blue sky.

Lingering supply constraints (thanks, pandemic!) meant that my choices were somewhat limited, but I was optimistic. The owner of the store introduced me to several options, then rolled a bike outside and gestured toward the side of the building. “Go ahead, take it for a spin.” It was a gravel bike, something I didn’t know existed until a couple of weeks ago. (Told you it’s been a while.)

The bike shop was located in a little shopping center, the kind with a parking lot out front and a service road around the back and sides. The parking lot’s pavement quickly gave way to gravel, potholes and a little grassy hill. Perfect for testing. 

I took bike number one for a spin. Then bike number two. I convinced Mr Man to find a bike of his own and join me. Then it was back to bike number one. It felt right. 

Fit: good. Function: good. Smile: wide.

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