That
last blog post was a psychoanalytical blast! Hope it was as interesting for you
all as it was for me. (: On to more pressing matters. I love me a good
two-wheeled transport. Be it motorcycle or be it bike, it's hard to say if I
prefer one over the other. One thing is for sure; I prefer 2 wheels over 4 for
most instances. Over the course of more than 4 years, I've enjoyed that sexy,
Silver-Bullet Ducati of mine, aptly named Giuliana because of her beautiful,
timeless look and performance. There she is down below surrounded by a couple
of sweet 749s.
I've
enjoyed my push bikes immensely, however, they have suffered less staying
power, unfortunately. Nevertheless, I've enjoyed them all and have put on
hundreds of miles on them. In considering Giuliana's new garage mate, I was
looking for something that really spoke to my interests, beyond wheeling
around. My last ride, the Cannondale Hooligan 3, was an awesome, different bike
that offered a great mix of performance and mischief in a very unique looking
package. I was quite confident that it would be a long-term part of my
collection. And for awhile that was the case. Then, one day, while perusing the
internoodle for a steel framed mountain bike, I stumbled upon...
That, my
friends, is the Trek-Gary Fisher Collection-Sawyer. The draw proved too much as
the Sawyer seemed to embody my personal sense of style, which based on
Giuliana, is rooted in the retro look with modern accoutrements. Steel,
cruiser-style, twin top-tube mountain bike frame; retro...check! 29-inch wagon
wheels, disk brakes, SRAM/Bontrager components; modern...check! Much like with
the limited edition Ducati, Giuliana, the Sawyer was not an easy bike to find.
It may not be what you think, however. Instead of countless droves of fans
appreciative of the classic styling snatching up every retro Ducati or
Trek/Fisher mountain bike, many simply want the newest (looking) thing out
there; which I'm definitely fine with. Because the Sawyer was considered a niche
product, none of the local bike shops (LBS) stocked her. Even the Trek factory
stores didn't dare bring one into the store without a deposit. Luckily, I
received word that my favorite (most of the time) shop, Black Mountain Bicycles
(BMB), was bringing one in for Matt, the head mechanic. Matt, being the
awesomeness that he is told me to come in when his ride came in to give it a
good flogging to make sure I liked it before dropping the money. Awesome!
I still
remember the day I saw the box at BMB like it was Christmas. I was excited. I
knew that it would still be a couple of days until it would get assembled, but
I knew it was there. I could hardly wait to swing a leg over it for a nice long
ride. I used it as motivation for dealing with the pressure of adjusting to
nursing school. And what a motivation it was. Being sick, Matt was unable to
keep tabs on its assembly, so I had to wait almost a whole week before I could
see the bike in the flesh. It was soooooo worth it. Sooooo worth it. I finally
had a chance to take it for a spin. Yay! It was awesome!!! I was definitely put
an order down for one. Then came the bombshell...Matt was relegating it to the
floor because he got his hands on a Superfly (Carbon Mountain Bike) frame for
cheap (née free) and was looking to build that up! Before my last mental
synapse was done processing what I heard I was already primed to sign the
papers to make her mine. It was a foregone conclusion.
This
week I brought her home. I have yet to name her as I continue to get to know
her with ever increasing rides. The 29er is a new experience. It takes a tiny
bit more effort to accelerate, especially compared to the 20-inch Hooligan, but
once it gets going...ooh boy get out of the way. The momentum is great. The
greater top-speed is nice as well. That said, I love being in a lean. The 29er
allows me to lean over more, while pedaling through. Score! To say I am
twitterpated with my new ride is the understatement of the year...so far. Well,
here she is after a recent shakedown run, equipped with lights in preparation
for some commuter runs.
The reflectors and pizza-plate have, obviously, all been
taken care of. Up next, hopefully, will be an upgrade to all X.0 in black/grey.
It may take some time. Regardless, almost like a doting dad, "ain't she
pretty?" Until next time (not too long, really) friends...
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