Just REALLY fell in love!!!!

[elk]

I took my Raleigh in and the mechanics put it up on the lift and checked it out...and then.....pronounced it ailing....It would cost over 200- to fix her up and she still would be kind of clunky....

I almost cried....

The Community Cycling Center here in Portland, takes donations of bikes that they either clean & fix or use for parts and gives them to kids who can't afford bikes....So we packed her back up and went over there. And I felt better about that.

But I realized I was also feeling sorry for myself because I was going to be "stuck" with Pokey Ol Pure, too friendly and sweet to diss....but yawn....

On the way home, I stopped at another LBS that I knew carried some of the bikes that have been keeping me up at night (OCD here...)..."life is too short to ride a bike you don't love" echoing in my ears...

2 of them were ruled out as not being able to give me a rush, or better suited for the flatlands....and the third, the one I MOST liked from the www, I took out for a drive......

and let me tell you ...vavavavoom. Fast, sturdy, agile, Light as a feather, even with kinda fat tires. I felt perfectly balanced feet/hands/butt and found it easy to keep the pressure OFF my YKW (you know what). I was test riding in inner SE Portland---traffic, bumpy bad roads, old cobblestones--and I was LOVING it! ANd then...the best thing happened: I realized I had just ridden up a rather steep hill....that's right, HAD ridden up, I was already at the top.

A fluke? Let's see. I went around the block again and found a steeper hill...up the darn thing IN 3RD GEAR!!!!!!!!! Again and Again. A miracle!!

The shifter is a Nexus IG 8 speed that is incredibly easy to use.

I turned to DH and said I LOVE this bike, but its more$$ than the Pure, and not by a little...
If you Love it, you should have it....

We fooled around with 3 different sizes, mens and womens and I ended up getting the larger women's bike; we just had to switch out the seat post so I could get it an inch lower...but hey, I don't NEED a suspension post, because my Brooks B67 is ON THE WAY!!!

Its getting fenders and a rack put on; I can pick it up @ 630....lifetime warranty on the frame and lifetime free tuneups...

Wanna see?
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=22051


I paid way less.....and got a step through like this:

This is the one I loved the look of...easy to replicate:
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=22079


Luckily I have a 30 day 100% satisfaction or MB guarantee on the PUre. I feel terrible about bringing it back after spending so much time with the person I bought it from....but I'm not gonna go all dysfuntional over it.

I am SO excited. I will be able to ride up and down and all around---my hood, the nearby bike trails...everyhere. I might even become a commuter!

I just feel so blessed!! to be able to do this...to ride, to get a bike I love, to get back in shape....to have support and a great place to ride.

I KNEW something was off with the Pure..and now I feel its been righted...well after I take it back...