Boys Love New Toys

“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring.” -Archbishop Desmond Tutu

A few weeks ago I started having real trouble with my Fuji bicycle I've been riding for the past six or seven years.  I had bought it used off Craigslist a while back and it served me very well but I knew it's time was coming to an end.

My old Fuji

It's not that my Fuji is a bad bike.  It's just that it's time had come and it was time to move on.  I really enjoyed that bike but after recently riding a few different rental bikes while on vacations, I knew I wanted something different.  And when my crank arm set broke it was the final straw.  I attempted to fix it and  it just didn't work out.

So 2 weeks ago I went shopping for my new best friend.  I knew some things I was looking for, like quick-shifters, and I tried a few bike shops before finding my new ride.  I ended up at Cycle Logic in Raleigh.  It's a shop I had been to while attempting to fix my Fuji and I really liked the people there.  It's a small shop where I really felt like they cared and weren't just out for my wallet.

The bike I found and bought is awesome.  It's a Raleigh Misceo Trail 1.0 and it's just what I wanted.   It's light-weight but solid.  It's got quick-shifters allowing me to get to my upper gears quicker.  And I've outfitted it with a new bag, a kickstand and end bars.

In the two weeks that I've had it I've rode 143 miles.  I've decided to name it Arch, in honor of a great man who has my favorite quote on biking.  I love it so much it even has a special place in my dining room where it's being stored.  No outside for Arch.

I'm not going to get rid of my Fuji just yet either.  I've taken it in to the shop to have it repaired and will probably keep it too so that I have a backup in case someone visits, hint, and wants to go for a ride with me.  I just hope I don't turn into one of those weird bicycle obsessed people who has a stable of bikes and parts all over.  Actually I'm okay with that.