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Yeah, I went and splurged for something really expensive again, but this time even the most sceptical person must agree it is something useful:
...A bike!
It all started with Shem talking about his bike, and his uncle's bike, and then my adoptive father won a bike helmet somewhere too, I think via his workplace - though he is actually retired now. I visited the rents this past weekend, the first of may is a holiday in parts of Europe, and since I've not seen them for months and they've been begging me to come I decided to go. That way we could discuss me getting myself a bike, as well as do some socializing. Also, a friend and his girlfriend were having a birthday party for them both on saturday, so it meant killing several birds with one stone.
Ah, yes. The bike... Bought it today, got home about an hour ago. Been resting since and typing this post.
It is a Specialized Rockhopper Comp; aluminium frame, fully suspended, all-Shimano components including cranks, derailleurs, wheelhubs plus hydraulic disc brakes front and rear, and, I'm pretty embarrassed to admit it, but it's got 27 gears.  Ok, admittedly some gears are "unusable combinations", as the chain doesn't like to be stretched to the extreme endpoints, but still, it has a hell of a lot of gears. My first MTB had "only" 21 (theoretical) gears...
I've so far mostly ridden it on the middle front gear (it has 3), and then adjust the speed with the rear derailleur (which has 9 gears). I only go up on the largest front gear if it is flat and easy riding, coz I'm SOOOO out of shape it's not even funny, but I intend to build myself up again. Still, I'd say the saddle did more to slow me down than my overall fitness; I'm pretty sure a lump of ROCK would have been more comfortable to sit on!  )
Took me about 35-40 mins for a slightly roundabout biketour back home from the city center, and then I was already somewhat tired from the bike trip from the store where I bought this thing. Tomorrow I will have to go out and get it insured... It cost me SKR15.200 to buy this thing including the big-ass German ABUS lock + wire I bought. Bike was on sale by the way, regular price SKR18.000, reduced to 14.400, pretty good IMO...
Of course, this means I got last year's model, but who the f**k cares?  It's more than good enough for me as it is! My bike rules. (Damn, I'm TIRED, haha! My butt's gonna ache like hell tomorrow thanks to this uber-rock-like saddle... I did push my thumb into it just now to check it actually flexes, and it did, but it sure didn't feel that way when I sat on it!
The brakes are dangerous btw. Not in the sense they don't work, but that they actually work a bit TOO good! JEBUS. I've never sat on a bike with THIS kind of stopping-power before, if I were to go fairly fast and squeeze the front brake as hard as I could I'm sure I'd tumble right over the handlebar and smash my skull open on the pavement...  Incredible.
There are disc brakes that are wire operated too, but they don't have this level of power the guy I bought the bike from said. Somehow, I still get the impression it would have been enough for me... Jebus, this is crazy stuffs!
The guy who bolted the last few details together, mounted the lock holder onto the frame and adjusted all the mechanical bits was this super duper yummy young smooth guy named Julian. He was not particulary tall and so cute and really slim and fit; you could see tons of thick veins on his lower arms even though he didn't have that much muscle; it was DEAD sexy, and his butt was nice and round too! GORGEOUS he was, OMG! I love a hottie who knows how to handle his tool... LOL!
So far this thing completely rules - all 1 hour tops I spent on top of it and I can't wait to do it again, if my butt can handle it, hehe. No, it was the same with my first MTB too, it had a horrible saddle I thought, and after a while it fit me like a glove. Also, it will be much easier to ride without a plastic bag in my hand swinging around, and I won't wear my jacket either when it's warm and sunny... Blech, really BAD combination! I sweated like a pig in it.
I MAY have to get some bike shoes though with clips on em, because these pedals aren't exactly ideal with regular shoes. Will have to wait for another month though - along with headlights, hehe - because I have no money left now. ::-)
Of course, meeting the rents had the usual bunch of pitfalls associated to it. Momthra was in a foul mood the day I arrived, but it got better the next day (thank grud, or I'd either pushed her down the stairs or got on the next bus heading back down south again even if it meant missing my friend's birthday party. Luckily, she stayed sane for the rest of my visit, and on sunday evening right before I was about to go to bed she wanted to have a serious talk. She begged me not to get angry for what she was about to ask, and said it wasn't easy to talk about this, and I immediately thought she was going to ask if I'm gay.
Well, she didn't. She wondered if I wanted to get in touch with my biological mother and brother. Jebus! What a time and a place to toss something like that at me...
I asked back if they'd contacted her recently, and she said not for a while now, and then I said we'd talk more about it later when I'd gone back home again. I don't feel like having face-to-face conversations on the subject because then I might get angry for her keeping secrets from me literally for decades... I DO want to get in touch with them, but I do NOT want to be the one initiating contact.
It feels as if I am always the one who has to do that or else people ignore me or forget about me... If my birthmother is serious about this why won't she approach me? I'm listed in the phonebook for grud's sakes, both number and address.
Ever since I found out about him, I've had the impression my half-brother is older than me. Well, he isn't, it seems. And his name is Peter. Wonder if he too would like to get to know me?
If only I'd had a little brother when I grew up, it would have made things easier I'm sure...
Agh. This is difficult.
"But he that hath the steerage of my course,
direct my sail."
-William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act One, Scene IV
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OMG, my new toy is an instrument of torture!
By: lenny on Mon, 03 May 2004 17:05 |
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Re: OMG, my new toy is an instrument of torture!
By: timmy on Mon, 03 May 2004 18:24 |
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Re: OMG, my new toy is an instrument of torture!
By: lenny on Mon, 03 May 2004 19:35 |
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I can kind of relate to you
By: saben on Mon, 03 May 2004 19:08 |
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Blood relatives as opposed to foster ones...
By: lenny on Mon, 03 May 2004 19:27 |
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Re: Blood relatives as opposed to foster ones...
By: timmy on Mon, 03 May 2004 20:35 |
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Re: OMG, my new toy is an instrument of torture!
By: xcboi02 on Mon, 03 May 2004 19:40 |
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Cool new toy
By: e on Mon, 03 May 2004 19:50 |
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OMG, I have a date with a real beauty and I am *nervous*!
By: lenny on Tue, 04 May 2004 17:02 |
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Re: OMG, I have a date with a real beauty and I am *nervous*!
By: timmy on Tue, 04 May 2004 18:15 |
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Re: OMG, I have a date with a real beauty and I am *nervous*!
By: lenny on Tue, 04 May 2004 23:10 |
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Re: OMG, I have a date with a real beauty and I am *nervous*!
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Re: OMG, I have a date with a real beauty and I am *nervous*!
By: Steve on Wed, 05 May 2004 05:25 |
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Thanks, Steve!
By: lenny on Wed, 05 May 2004 07:08 |
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WHUPS.
By: lenny on Wed, 05 May 2004 17:59 |
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Re: WHUPS.
By: e on Wed, 05 May 2004 19:33 |
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Re: WHUPS.
By: saben on Thu, 06 May 2004 00:02 |
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Re: WHUPS.
By: Steve on Thu, 06 May 2004 05:46 |
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Thanks guys...
By: lenny on Thu, 06 May 2004 07:55 |
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