The Bike Post: Part 3 - Bringing Home a Bike

While we were trying to track down a local bike shop that stocked the Trek 4300 WSD, Clayton happened to run across a listing for a Specialized Rockhopper on Craigslist that was a good deal. The guy selling it was in Alexandria, so we decided to go after Clayton got back from work so we could avoid rush hour traffic. (Well, that and I couldn't do a test ride without someone to watch Paul.)

Turns out the guy lives near where Clayton used to live, so we met up at the Compusa near Landmark Mall. I had a good test ride, and the fit was good, although it took a few minutes to get used to grip shifters. Since I haven't done any serious riding in over 5 years, Clayton also took it on a test ride to make sure I didn't miss any mechanical problems. The only work that needs to be done before I go for a real ride is to take off the toe clips. I'm pretty happy with it.

The Bike Post, Part 2: Other Considerations

There were also a few other things I had to keep in mind when I was looking at bikes and doing test rides. Mountain bikes tend to be heavier than road bikes or hybrids, which is potentially bad because I will be pulling a trailer some times, and Paul is only going to get heavier.

The other consideration is cost. There is one main accessory that I will need to build up my distances and endurance during the week. I need a bike trailer that can handle the crushed limestone sections of the Accotink Trail, since that will probably be my preferred trail when I have Paul, because it has a few playgrounds along it. Unfortunately that leaves the cheap trailers out, since they're designed for paved trails. Even if you watch Craigslist or Ebay, it's not exactly inexpensive for a Burley or Chariot trailer. (And if it is, you usually saw it 3 minutes too late or people waste your time .)

I also have a good seat and rack, and plans to upgrade to clipless platform pedals, so if a bike fits well but needs improvement in those areas, it's not a big deal. I'm just looking for a reliable bike that can handle terrain that's rated 2.5 or less on geocaching.com.I know it's a tall order, but it turns out it's doable with a little persistence. (Well, the bike part of it is and I can only hope the trailer part will be doable too.)

The Bike Post, Part 1: Discovering WSD

We've been talking about getting a bike for me for a couple of months now. We started seriously looking toward the end of July. My husband has been commuting by bike for just shy of a year, so I had a pretty decent idea of where to start looking with his help. While we have great paved bike trails (W&OD, C&O Canal, and sections of the Cross County Trail), I need something that can handle deer trails. I've been toying with the idea of geocaching by bike since NoVaGO included a geocaching bike ride as part of the Hot, Hot, Hot event last October.

I did a test ride of the Trek 4500 WSD, and the Trek 4300, to help me get a better idea of how well some of the bikes I was interested in fit me. Originally, I didn't think the WSD would really do anything for me, since I am taller than the average woman and I lumped WSD in with all those pink gadgets that trade their useful features for a coat of pink paint.

Although I ended up not going with either of the Trek bikes, that test ride sold me on WSD being a good thing. I'm not really much shorter than my husband, but I couldn't ride on his bike for more than about 5-10 minutes without my back becoming sore. Turns out it was a few little things adding up to make me so uncomfortable on Clayton's bike. For starters, it's a 19" when I need an 18".

It also doesn't help that the geometry of a bike frame does change a bit depending on the gender it was intended for. Men tend to have shorter legs and longer torsos, and women are usually the opposite. You can adjust your bike to make it a better fit for you, which is what Clayton had done with his bike. While that was great for him, I just don't have the reach he does and it's just not practical to adjust it for me everytime I want to ride for 30-45 minutes on the trainer when there's a good chance he'll be riding in to work the next day.

I did really like the Trek 4500 WSD (and I swear it had nothing to do with it being purple), since it seemed to fit better than the men's 4300. We could have special ordered the 4300 WSD, but I didn't want to order a bike I didn't take on a test ride. I wasn't sure if the difference in fit was due to it being designed for a man, or if it was a combination of minor differences between the models on top of it being designed for a man. I also hadn't taken any of the Specialized bikes for a test ride either, so we decided to look around some more.