Thou Shalt Not Covet
Thursday thoughts for this marathon runner who's taking the summer off from marathon training and dabbling in triathlons;
In Sunday school as a kid, I'd learned that thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife (or something like that...I wasn't always paying attention) or as is the case with me, thy neighbor's bike. The dude that lives behind me has a full cycling shop in his garage along with an array of very expensive bad ass bikes. I have to be honest, I looked at him and didn't quite get it. He might as well have pulled his Amish buggy into the garage. It was that foreign to me. As a runner, he seemed a bit odd with his obsession. I didn't know why he spent so much time and money on his sport...although marathon racing isn't exactly cheap.
After two triathlons this summer, I have moved from completely clueless to novice (I
aspire for beginner status) and something has happened. I want to rob my neighbor's garage. I now understand the difference between the multi-purpose bike you bought at Target with the fat tires suitable for crashing big curbs and a decent road or triathlon bike. I now even know that there is such a thing as a "triathlon bike."
I took my kids to Guitar Center on Sunday so the boys could play with their toys and I went next door to REI. Big mistake. They have some pretty cool bikes on clearance and I decided to take one out for a spin. Smooth as buttah! (Jewish or New Yorker pronunciation of butter.) I covet that bike, but unlike a new pair of shoes or shirt I can hide in my car or closet, how do I sneak that into the garage and how many chick flicks do I have to watch on the sofa before I can broach the subject with my wife?
In Sunday school as a kid, I'd learned that thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife (or something like that...I wasn't always paying attention) or as is the case with me, thy neighbor's bike. The dude that lives behind me has a full cycling shop in his garage along with an array of very expensive bad ass bikes. I have to be honest, I looked at him and didn't quite get it. He might as well have pulled his Amish buggy into the garage. It was that foreign to me. As a runner, he seemed a bit odd with his obsession. I didn't know why he spent so much time and money on his sport...although marathon racing isn't exactly cheap.
After two triathlons this summer, I have moved from completely clueless to novice (I
aspire for beginner status) and something has happened. I want to rob my neighbor's garage. I now understand the difference between the multi-purpose bike you bought at Target with the fat tires suitable for crashing big curbs and a decent road or triathlon bike. I now even know that there is such a thing as a "triathlon bike."
I took my kids to Guitar Center on Sunday so the boys could play with their toys and I went next door to REI. Big mistake. They have some pretty cool bikes on clearance and I decided to take one out for a spin. Smooth as buttah! (Jewish or New Yorker pronunciation of butter.) I covet that bike, but unlike a new pair of shoes or shirt I can hide in my car or closet, how do I sneak that into the garage and how many chick flicks do I have to watch on the sofa before I can broach the subject with my wife?
So, a Motebecane Nemesis is the modern day equivalent of your neighbor's ass? Check out BikesDirect.com if that's the bike you want. But- as far as coveting tri-bikes, there are far far nicer bikes out there (that I covet).
ReplyDeleteAbout 8 years ago, I went out "looking at bikes." I had (have) a mtn bike, but wanted more of a road/racing bike...because I KNEW I'd ride it a lot (ahem). Being impulsive like I sometimes am, I test-rode and fell in love with a bike on clearance. It was a $1200 Fuji Roubaix, marked down to $1000. Buying it was the easy part. Coping with my wife's disapproval...for about two years...was the hard part. I've yet to put 1500 miles on it (but I WILL ride it more. Soon). Whatever you do, good luck!
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