No ride, but I went to the lbs with my best friend to test ride bikes (for her!). She has a very limited budget, but they managed to find some real deals for us to try. I wasn't expecting to be test riding today, so I was wearing chords and Keen Mary Janes. I got the old "You look like Pipi" comment that plagued my childhood, probably because of my harlequin socks, which showed when I rolled up my pants.

We tried 2 Bianchis, a Specialized Sequoia, and an Electra Amsterdam. Man, that Amsterdam is a fun bike. I felt like I should have been drinking a cappuccino while riding it. It's a very posh ride. I'd consider one if I had more room.

She couldn't decide...but the Celeste Bianchi Eros is in the lead. It's a lovely Italian handmade frame, with nice Campy components, for half original price. Just the setup was a little off, but with tweaking, it could be the one.

The Sequoia was pretty much perfect ride-wise, but a little more than she wants to spend, and she didn't love the color. Isn't it annoying when the prettiest bike is the least comfortable? The purple Bianchi, which she loved the look of, and was the cheapest, just didn't feel right.

Test riding bikes is so weird at this point. I'm so used to my bikes, that I feel like a total newbie on anything different.