I got me a road bike...

[lph]

and she's RED!

:D :D :D

Bought used, for a gentle price, from a really nice woman about my age who races a lot.

I haven't picked her up yet, but she looks like this:

[surgtech1956]

VERY PREETTTTY. It's a Schwinn what model? Always great to find a great bargin, were you shopping for awhile or just happen upon her?

[Mr. Bloom]

Cool.

Out of curiousity, how much more "riding season" do you have in Norway?

[lph]

She's a Schwinn Fastback Comp, and she's beyooooooooooooooootiful. :D

How I found her was kind of interesting: a friend of mine who has been trying to get me into road biking found her advertised on the net actually. I was on holiday and got a message about this bike, but just told him to cool down, I wasn't ready to go bike shopping yet!

I came home a few weeks later, found out she wasn't sold yet, went to take a look, and fell in love... It was my birthday too!

Mr. Silver: Weellll - I (try to) commute all year round, but I usually stop once we have enough snow to go cross-country skiing. Mainly because the logistics involved in getting in both a bike ride and a ski trip in the same few hours of daylight are just mindboggling :D I live in Oslo and rarely have to stop biking because there's too much snow. There'll be a heavy snowfall once in a while but after a day or two it's mostly cleared away.

Last year that meant no biking for 4-6 weeks around February, we had very little snow and it took ages before there was enough to ski on.

[Zen]

What a lovely color red.
I think that shade is called Power Red.
Here's wishing you many happy years of cycling.

[rij73]

Lovely! Hooray for new bikes!

[sbctwin]

Lovely looking bike. I hope you have many memorable rides on her.

[tjf9]

Congrats on the new bike! I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

[mimitabby]

now you'll do even more million miles more than the rest of us!
happy new bike to you!

[lph]

Thanks all! Here she is, brought her home today. I tried to get a picture while I was still in biking gear, but my son hasn't quite got the hang of waiting til the camera focuses, so they were all blurry. Had to wait til dh got home for something postable ;)

[rij73]

Awesome! You look like a very happy couple! :p

[sundial]

Wow, what a hot bike! Hope you don't get a speeding ticket. ;)

[lph]

Well one can always try :rolleyes:

[Starfish]

Very wonderful, and thanks for the pic! Love the shade of red.

[madscot13]

Nice bike! Riding will be so much fun!


Oh and may I say, finding a location where I can alternate biking and skiing throughout the year is my life's dream.

[northstar]

Nice bike! Riding will be so much fun!


Oh and may I say, finding a location where I can alternate biking and skiing throughout the year is my life's dream.

Hey, Mads, You can do that here! :D But I think Oslo would be umm...dreamier!

Congratulations on the bike, lph! Love the red...looks like a rocket!

[indigoiis]

Nice bike! Congrats!

[lph]

Hoo boy. Rode her over to the other side of town to go swimming, and I have never gotten so many looks in my life. Oslo is a town where everybody rides mtbs, sort of goes with the terrain. And the snow, and our crappy roads...

I'm still trying to get used to the braking leverage being next to nothing compared to my mtb, even less compared to the disc brakes on my dhs bike that I'm lusting for. And a standing climb feels really really strange with the narrow handlebars and my hands facing each other. And I have no idea what these teeny skinny tires can handle so I roll over every bump like they're made of eggshell...

But WOW OH WOW the acceleration on this thing!!! Maybe that's what earned me all those looks. Or maybe it was the big fat LOOK AT ME! smile plastered all over my face :D

[Starfish]

Or maybe it was the big fat LOOK AT ME! smile plastered all over my face :D

LOL!! I love it. You sound SOoooo happy!

You'll get used to the differences, and once you realize those skinny tires won't explode over very bump, and that you can actually stop your bike with those brakes, and that you can get leverage to climb...well, just WAIT to see how fast you will be!!!

Thank you so much for sharing your joy! It is just really fun to read.

[madscot13]

Is that bike still feeling wonderful?

[lph]

aaah - haven't really had a chance to try her out properly yet. I just started work, so I'm still adjusting to my regular commuting schedule plus getting up early after five long weeks of slacking off... I feel a bit too wobbly to want to commute on the Schwinn yet.

Spent several happy hours yesterday tweaking the fit, and I have a spare stem to switch to if I need it. I'm thinking I have to sneak up early one morning this weekend and go out for a long ride on my own someplace where the roads are straight and there's little traffic. Looking forward to that :)

[Ladyrunner]

Oooo!! She looks great!! Happy riding!

[slmdunc]

Congrats on the new bike! She's a beauty! I love red. How can you not love red? You gals looks great. :)

[RoadRaven]

and she's RED!

:D :D :D



My first road bike was used, and red... and it was the most wonderful bike for me.
I have upgraded, and my 13yr old has used it for his first racing bike, and now it is his TT bike, however, he is still growing and it will probably become my youngest's bike... and then it will come back to me as a training bike.

Your bike is lovely and the best thing about her? Red makes you go FAST!:D

[Tri Girl]

That's one smokin' bike! No wonder you got so many looks- they're jealous they don't have a sweet ride like yours! What a beauty!!! :D

You two have fun together before the winter rolls in and it's mtn bike time again. :(

[teigyr]

Nice bike!! And cute dress too. The picture worked :D

You can always swap out the tires for something grippier or slightly wider maybe. I was looking at VERY grippy tires that were kind of expensive...can't remember what they were but the guy swore they'd go over almost everything without being slippery.

[DDH]

Wow, great looking bike. Congratulations!!! I hope you have many great miles together.

[short cut sally]

Nice Bike!! What a deal that you got, looks so like brand new and you look so happy to have it...enjoy and many safe miles ahead of you...

[momof4greatkids]

Hoo boy. Rode her over to the other side of town to go swimming, and I have never gotten so many looks in my life.

But WOW OH WOW the acceleration on this thing!!! Maybe that's what earned me all those looks. Or maybe it was the big fat LOOK AT ME! smile plastered all over my face :D


Congrats Laila! The looks, dear, are because you are such a hottie on your new fast red bike! DUH!!! :D

You got your new bike and I'm still waiting for mine. But it's expected to arrive any day now. The Serotta guy said the backorders for steel frames are right on schedule.

I'm happy for you, that looks like a great bike, long may you run...er, ride.

Colleen

[lph]

Heh, thanks ;)

I went out early Sunday morning to go "for a long ride, waay out there", and just managed to get royally lost...:D I really need to find my way around the roads here.

There is a club I can join that has 3 levels of training rides and a beginners/tour group, and I have a couple of colleagues that ride road bikes and live not far away... but ... I'm not very good at "being a beginner", not in company at least. I'd much prefer to bumble around on my own for a few months until I feel I have the hang of it before I start road biking with other people :o

So I pack a bus card and a cell phone, and I've warned to expect desperate phone calls from the middle of nowhere...

[momof4greatkids]

Heh, thanks ;)

I went out early Sunday morning to go "for a long ride, waay out there", and just managed to get royally lost...:D I really need to find my way around the roads here.

There is a club I can join that has 3 levels of training rides and a beginners/tour group, and I have a couple of colleagues that ride road bikes and live not far away... but ... I'm not very good at "being a beginner", not in company at least. I'd much prefer to bumble around on my own for a few months until I feel I have the hang of it before I start road biking with other people :o

So I pack a bus card and a cell phone, and I've warned to expect desperate phone calls from the middle of nowhere...


Do what suits you, I feel like you, as long as I have a cell phone I can not be too desperately lost.

That club you mention sounds like a good group with which to start riding w/others. You will know when you are ready to bike w/others.

I just got off the phone w/my bike shop and they said my frame is expected in Wed and that it should be ready to go before the weekend. GOOD GRIEF I AM SO EXCITED!!!

[michelem]

Oh! What a pretty bike (matches you in that regard)! :) I really like the red. Hope you have lots of fun with it. I don't know about you, but it was really hard to get excited about riding my old heavy clunker - I'd get kind of a heavy feeling myself whenever I'd catch a glimpse of it. Now, with my new road bike, I get excited whenever I see it and wonder when I can ride it next! :D Many happy miles to you! :)

[RoadRaven]

Hey there Mom of 4... congrats - you'll have to start a thread of your own this weekend with pix too!
Can feel your excitement from here!