This is somewhat normal behavior, right?

I took my new Specialized Vita back to the shop today for our initial fitting. I asked if I could also bring along my Dolce which I bought a couple of years ago at a different shop. Sure, no problem, he said. The Dolce is 48cm and I've often wondered if I should have gotten the 44cm. What I didn't tell the guy was that there is a shop about 90 miles away with the same year, make and model (and color - red) on closeout in the 44. It turns out the 48 is fine with some adjustments.

Now, that same bike shop (90 miles away) also has a 48 from that year, on closeout, with better components, in glossy black. Yes, I want a glossy black bike. The red is sharp, but limiting. I like the black. Just so happens I have to go out that way next week and I'm tempted to "just go look" at it, using the better components as an excuse ;) I've only had the Dolce for a couple of years. It's not too soon to upgrade, right?

As Murienn said, you are talking to the wrong people.

Oh, no no. I'm talking to exactly the right people :D I wanted reassurance, people telling me what I want to hear, not some sort of common sense rationalization. So thanks!

Contrarian here. I'm spending all my $$ on upgrading my condo, traveling to the F1 grand prix in Austin for my father's birthday and otherwise spending time with family. Not thinking about buying any new bikes.

Talk to me about grab bars that are decorative enough to double as towel bars and exhaust fan/light fixtures that don't look hideous.

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Originally Posted by ny biker

Contrarian here. I'm spending all my $$ on upgrading my condo, traveling to the F1 grand prix in Austin for my father's birthday and otherwise spending time with family. Not thinking about buying any new bikes.

Talk to me about grab bars that are decorative enough to double as towel bars and exhaust fan/light fixtures that don't look hideous.

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Ah see. I've done lots of home remodeling lately, and still have more to go. Would you like to see pictures of my new roof?

As you've probably realized, it's hard to use a grab bar as a towel bar. It's too fat (towel slides off) and a grab bar is usually installed vertically or diagonally (again, towel slides off). Good luck with your projects and travel plans.

Really like to get involved in this conversation, but I need to go paint the hallway! No bike upgrades in near future, we're gonna install new interior doors!!!!

So, in short YES, YOU NEED A NEW BLACK BIKE for all of U.S. buying new light switches and towel bars! And yes, red is way to limiting! Send pics of the new girl!

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Originally Posted by IBrakeforPastry

Ah see. I've done lots of home remodeling lately, and still have more to go. Would you like to see pictures of my new roof?

As you've probably realized, it's hard to use a grab bar as a towel bar. It's too fat (towel slides off) and a grab bar is usually installed vertically or diagonally (again, towel slides off). Good luck with your projects and travel plans.

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I planned to have two towel bars on the wall of the bath/shower alcove that is opposite the tub faucet and shower head. (It's a small bathroom, so there's no other place for towel racks large enough for bath towels.) But they make grab bars now that are not totally commercial/hospital looking, so I will install two of them instead. At first I was going to go with Delta:

http://www.build.com/delta-41724/s940429

But the Moen cost significantly less and have grippy things on the back. And I think this style would look better for the vertical one that I plan to install on the wall next that has the tub faucet/shower head.

http://www.build.com/moen-lr8724d1g/s592289?uid=1205628

I'm also going with this for the toilet paper holder.

http://www.build.com/moen-lr2352d/s591174?uid=1959168

Do I need grab bars? Not now, not usually. But I bet my parents would appreciate them when they visit. And if I'm sick, or worn out from a long bike ride, or maybe drunk :eek:, they'll come in handy. Since I'm gutting the room down to the studs and have no plans or money to move to a different home, it makes sense to either install these things now or at least put the blocking in behind the walls for future installation. (I'll be adding blocking for a horizontal or slanted bar along the back wall of the but alcove.)

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Originally Posted by smittykitty

So, in short YES, YOU NEED A NEW BLACK BIKE for all of U.S. buying new light switches and towel bars! And yes, red is way to limiting! Send pics of the new girl!

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Get the bike! Do it for us and the economy. We'll help you pick red accents.

I need to pick a new dishwasher. Anyone have experience with Bosch vs Miele? Also drawing up plans for a bathroom remodle, thinking about a walk in shower with hand made tile.

Never too soon to upgrade or add to the stable... Maybe the older one can be your knock around town bike, while the newer one with nicer components is your ride bike. Never underestimate the different niches to be filled by nearly identical bikes ;) I speak from experience here, since I have three road bikes, all serving purposes/moods, and am trying to decide what I want the 4th road bike to be...

From a functional standpoint, regardless of how they look, I wouldn't hang anything at all from a grab bar. If the bar were ever actually needed, you don't want the grip obstructed or made slippery by a towel (or radio, or whatever).



To the OP ... it's normal for anyone, if they have more money than they need for absolute survival, to spend it on something that makes their life happier! For some of us that's a new bike - for some, a new bathroom - for some, a more powerful fence charger to KEEP THE FRICKIN RABBITS OUT OF OUR GARDENS (but that's another thread :rolleyes:)

Ha, ha on the rabbits. Don't let my DH know you have a fence charger...
Trek, we bought a Bosch dishwasher about 5 years ago, to replace the one we bought 10 years ago, in the house remodel. The top rack has rusted and is disintegrating and the display that shows how many minutes are left in the cycle are no longer readable. It would cost about $200-300 to replace the top rack. Also, our glassware always looks filmy, no matter what detergent we try. We are almost ready to buy a new one, even though we are planning on selling in 1-2 years.

Okay, a few thoughts. I wanted to put a grab bar in the shower both for me, if needed, and for when/if my mother visits. It seemed the tub was getting very crowded with shelves and little hooks for various things, so I left it out. I did put up a second shower curtain rod just inside the other one and use it as one long towel bar or for hand laundry.

I already have a knock-around-town bike. A few of them. So I don't really want two Dolces in the stable. I wouldn't want either to feel resentment towards the other, and I'd be happier if one had a home of its own.

I read an interesting column suggesting that many critters eating our vegetables are just looking for water. They're thirsty, can't find water, so they eat vegetables. The writer suggested putting out water. They'll probably still want the vegetables, but maybe not as much.

I can't help with the dishwasher. When I remodeled my kitchen, I had them rip it out and put an extra cabinet in the space. I live alone and it's easy enough for me to just wash my dishes. I was too lazy to load and unload. The plumbing is still there if the next owners want a dishwasher.

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Originally Posted by ny biker

Contrarian here.

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is it contrarian to quote merckx 'don't upgrade, ride up grades'??....no wait....upgrading to ride up grades is why i got my seven.

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

Curious what they did to adjust the fit. (Didn't you ask about that before?).

I've gotten where I can fit myself on a bike, except road cleats. Ugh. Spacers and wedges require help. It takes time and experience, though. Finally figured out that if I measure from the center of the saddle clamp to the center clamp of the bars, then replicate that length on another bike, I can figure out the correct stem length, even if the reach is different. End up with same cockpit length that way. It's taken a lot of trial, but have also figured out what to look for in neck pain to determine whether bars are too high or too low, of if the reach needs to be extended a bit, or shortened.

Makes a big difference in my bike fits. If they helped you correctly, you may be able to do the same with the way you are switching back and forth between bikes. ;)

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I'm sorry I meant to answer this sooner. Briefly, we played around with the stems. He wanted to try an adjustable one, but realized he didn't have any. So I'll go back next week and finish up. Since I like to be a little more upright, the smaller bike would have created problems with the shorter head tube.

This is the first time I've worked with this fitter. I had brief sessions with two others with mixed results. So far I like this new one. He started by asking me my concerns, watched me ride, and worked with me. He didn't just set up the bike to some formula of how things "should" be. He even suggested I try a Jones bar on the Vita.

So funny about the rabbits. We actually let ours mow the lawn. They are loose in the yard.

I am so tired of home remodeling also. I am working remotely at my vacation house while every floor in my other house has been ripped out (good riddance to the pink carpet). I was going to stay there, but after I stepped on a nail and needed a tetnus booster, I came to the other house. If I had a bit of forethought, I would have scheduled this while i was on vacation out of the country for a month this summer.

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Originally Posted by TrekDianna

I am so tired of home remodeling also. I am working remotely at my vacation house while every floor in my other house has been ripped out (good riddance to the pink carpet). I was going to stay there, but after I stepped on a nail and needed a tetnus booster, I came to the other house. If I had a bit of forethought, I would have scheduled this while i was on vacation out of the country for a month this summer.

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I only have one house and one bathroom. I want to be here for the bathroom renovation so I can be involved with the details and keep an eye on things. So I need to find out how many days it will be totally unusable (no toilet) and find a hotel or friend to stay with on those days.

As for the new floor, they say they can be finished in a day. The challenge there is piling as much in the kitchen as possible to minimize the things the installers have to move around in the rooms where they are working. I even have to get everything off the closet floors. This is where having fewer bikes is a good thing -- I can put the mountain bike out on the balcony and store the road bike in my car.

Was out looking at dishwashers over the weekend. One thing I didn't like with the Bosch was the bottom rack layout, it's quite restrictive. You have to put certain sized plates in certain sections. We actually took a few of our dishes and bowls with us to try out, you might want to do that. I looked at the Miele. They are very expensive (Canada) and other makes offered same options at a lower price. I wanted my new dishwasher to have a few things. Top rack had to be adjustable, cutlery rack not on the door, a third rack for small cooking utensils. Ended up buying a Maytag.
To the OP......buy the bike

FWIW my sister has a very expensive Kitchen Aide dishwasher and hates it. She says the best dishwasher she's ever had was a mid priced Maytag. We're in the market for a new one. I hate my Frigidaire.

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Originally Posted by Trek420

Get the bike! Do it for us and the economy. We'll help you pick red accents.

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The bike actually comes with red bar tape and bottle cages, and has a white stripe. I might to go all black. Or maybe silver or gold, if it's not too "blingy". Or blue. I like blue.

Funny thing, though. A couple of days ago I was out riding the red bike. I found a baby bird in the road and stopped to move him over to the grass. As I was standing there in the road, cradling a bird in my hands, I looked over at my bike, shimmering in the sun, and thought, "Wow, that looks sharp". The bird just blinked at me. He wasn't impressed.