In the end, the trusty steed did not live up to its name. It had a good run, for sure, and I loved it dearly, but 2 flats, a wheel blow out, and 2 sets of broken spokes and enough is enough. 4 long walks home in as many weeks, several weeks in the shop, and a frankly terrifying acceleration of money required to maintain equilibrium led me to inquire about the possibility of replacement, mostly at Neal's bequest. "For god's sake, get a new bike," he kept repeating with increasing volume and intensity.
"Actually," said the bike shop man, we have two ladies bikes in the shop right now but you'll have to be quick because they'll go in a day." ladies bikes I sniffed to myself. I mentioned my bike woes to a few friends at knit night, and the response was eerily familiar. "For god's sake, Karly - get a new bike!" They did however tell me about cyclescheme, which it turns out my work does as well. This means I can spread the cost over 1 year, and pay before tax, making a decent savings as well.
So I went to look at the ladies bikes. Turns out they were the ones I have been ogling in the bike shop windows for years, never imagining I could justify the cost. But with the cyclescheme, and compared to what my old one was eating up - well -
Meet the new steed:
It's a vintage style touring bike but with a lightweight frame. It's made in Italy (ooooooh!), and comes with fenders and chain guards, lights and a bell, and (this is where you know it's Italian) a handmade white suede seat. I feel sorry for that seat and am slightly concerned about what it will look like after a few weeks of my sweaty, sand-and-sea-encrusted arse upon it.
It's no racer, but it's smooth and fun to ride. All I need to do now is attach my milk crate on the back and we're back in business!
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