ok, I went back to ghisallo's at lunchtime and bought my trek 7200. It was the one i'd test ridden, so was already adjusted for me. They took it to check it over and put on the water bottle cage and kickstand. That was all the shopping I did for it, for now- water bottle cage, kickstand, and a cable to lock it up (don't plan to be leaving it anywhere, but wanted to have one on it just in case).
The only bike rack I had is an old one stored in the barn for several years, and the guy came out and put it on my car for me- it was kind of scary because I worried that the straps were dry rotted. We couldn't get them as tight as I would like, but when we got done it seemed secure. I drove back to work inthe rain and parked it. But I couldn't stand the thought of it out there getting rained on, and even though we're in compound patrolled by security, I worried I'd go out and it would be gone. So I talked the admin into letting me pull into the enclosed loading dock so it stayed dry all afternoon.
When I got home I took it off and had to ride it. I've got a quarter mile walking trail around the perimeter of my property, so I rode. It's mostly flat, but has a short steep drop off what used to be a pond bank. It was great to be able to ride up that little steep hill. At the third lap (in the rain, tires getting dirty) I thought, "are these handlebars a little crooked?". The fourth lap, I'd just rolled down the steep drop and almost crashed when my handle bars turned but the wheel didn't. I had to walk it back to the house, the handlebars were too loose. I got an allen wrench and tightened them, but could still turn them. I had to get my husband to really crank the allen wrench to get them solid. Now, I'm a bit scared for that to happen out on the road, but I'll do a couple of laps tomorrow (dark now) and see if they stay tight. It's sitting inside, out of the rain. I got the new hitch mount bike rack I'd ordered, so if I have to take it back to the shop I can take my truck with a hitch rack and not have to use that old trunk mount bike rack again.
vickie