Monday, July 7, 2008

Cyclist's algebra

One highly extravagant bike store trip later...

I did not ride down there, either! Partly it was the usual mild aversion to bike-riding--but I had the good excuse of an extremely painful saddle sore! I am having a rest day, that's how it's adding up--more because of mental than physical exigencies!

"It is an expensive sport," said the very helpful female bike fitter (it is a huge asset when a bike store--West Side location--has an excellent female staff member!) as she rang me up...

So I got the Shimano M324 SPD pedals (which have an SPD binding on one side and a standard pedal on the other so that you do not need to ride in cleats--this is what one of the other riders had yesterday, it seemed ideal) and some very expensive shoes that can actually be walked around in without terrible skitteriness.

(Why are the best shoes always the most expensive ones?!? Once I had tried on all the different possibilities, including some that were--appealingly!--only about a third the price, it was clear that these were incomparably the best, there was no way around it! Fit, comfort, safety...)

Add in two tires and two tubes...

This morning I registered for a New York Cycle Club membership (really, as helpful as everyone was this weekend, it seemed criminal not to!) and I was very glad of it, because it gave me a ten percent discount that actually has already more than paid back the membership charge (in region of $20).

It is like some kind of middle-school algebra problem - how much money did I spend?!? (I hastily add that this was a rhetorical question, I would on the whole prefer you not to contemplate it!)

4 comments:

Brent Buckner said...

Shoes with SPD cleats also useful for spinning studio bikes - so you have that going for you!

Unknown said...

I'll bet that some people had the answer before you asked the question!

(And just ask The Boarder. Rest Days are Good.)

Herself, the GeekGirl said...

Just a suggestion: Bontrager hard case or Specialized Armadillos. We have big thorns here and they're awesome. Made of Kevlar. I wrote a post on it once.

ShirleyPerly said...

Glad you found some pedals & shoes that might work out better for you. I've been using Look pedals only because I finally got used to them and so now I don't want to change. Nevertheless I still find plenty to buy at bike stores!