Thursday, July 24, 2008

I Want to Ride My Bicycle...

I've been doing some thinking, y'all, and I've decided what I really need is a bicycle. A zippy one with a bell and hand brakes and a detachable front tire and an alloy rear rack. I want one that is good for street cruising but that can also take the rugged hills of Knoxville. I don't want a mountain bike, since I won't be mountain biking. I just want t road bike that I can ride to school since I live close enough to do so and forgo purchasing a $162 parking permit that only lasts 9 months.

My dream bike would look similar to this one:

I can get that beauty there for $124.00 on line, but I'm leery of buying a bicycle on line. Dear God, how much would the shipping be? And are they expecting me to put it together after its shipped in a million little pieces? I can barely put my Crock-Pot together, and it only has two!

I checked out Craigslist and found an awesome sounding bike for $75, which is perfectly within my price range. But when I emailed the seller for a picture, some country gal named Debbie down in Seymour, TN, she told me that she did not see the sense in developing an entire roll of film for one picture to scan and send to me. Hmph. I told Deb that I don't buy goods without first seeing them, and therefore she could keep her damned bicycle and shove it up her...well, I didn't go that far.

So I'm bikeless still.

I also checked out the Goodwill down the road from my apartment and found a whole slew of bikes for $15 a pop. However, none looked like they were in working order, and I'm not looking for a fixer upper. I want one I can hop on and ride right out of the store and into the sunset. Or at least until I get too hot and need to stop under a shade tree for a spell.

So it looks like a bike shop or the Walmart is my best option. The thing is, I checked out the bike shop near my house, and most of their merchandise cost as much as my car. My name is not Lance Armstrong; I don't need a $2,500 racing bike. And as far as Walmart goes, well, I just hate going there. Not because I'm a liberal pseudo-intellectual who finds the corporation repulsive; I'm actually not anti-Walmart (which doesn't mean I'm pro-Walmart, either), but don't tell my grad school counterparts that lest an argument at the pizza buffet ensue (we'll save that story for another time). It's just Walmart makes me mad, with all the long lines and rude salespeople and items housed in the most poorly thought out places--like sandwich bags not beside the trash bags. That store makes my blood pressure go up, so I try to avoid it for the sake of my mental and physical health.

But I might need to take a whiskey shot or bong hit or meditation session and just go in, get a bike, and get out. It can be like a reconaissance mission. Hell, maybe I should even take a rifle with me. Just kidding, y'all. Still, I shudder to think about braving the wilds of the falling prices, though.

I also can't stomach spending over $100 on any single item at once. I get nauseous just thinking about it, which is completely irrational. I regularly spend that much in a day or so on groceries, gas, and dinner and a movie with friends. But I feel like I'm getting more for my money then for some reason. I should really get past this over-$100 fear if I'm ever going to be a successful adult or parent or benefactor of the Barak Obama campaign.

I'll keep on toiling over the bicycle situation until I either just break down and get one or cough up the money for the parking pass. Either way, I'm sure all the worry warting will cause my hairline to recede even more. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for a cheap bike for Mr. Sisk

8 comments:

Monda said...

Freecycle.com, Mister Sisk. Just join and post a "wanted" email and voila - a free bike. Then you can take it down to the bike shop and have new tread put on it.

Otherwise, it's Wal-Mart for you. I don't wish that on anyone.

Jenn said...

However, if you want a bike that will make you happy and last a long time, the investment is worth going to a bike shop and getting fitted to the right size frame. You see, not all bikes are created equal; people are not the same height, and neither are bikes. One way might be to go to a bike shop, get fitted and find out what you like, then shop around. Or purchase one from a bike shop where they can help you put it together and service it. I have a friend who bought a higher priced bike, and has been super-happy with it (it's a GIANT, I think.)It might be worth at least going in!

Laura said...

Go talk to the people at the bike shop. They may be able to order a lower line bike for you, or they may have used bikes. My husband's bike came from the bike shop, but we bought it used. It is a nice bike, and was a couple hundred bucks, but new, it would have been considerably more.

You might even describe what you are looking for, and your price range, and just ask about what they would suggest. Worth a try. It doesn't cost anything to talk. And if they just keep trying to talk you into a $1k bike, just leave.

I'd take my chances at a thrift store before Wal Mart, though. At least you know someone has ridden them sometime. Wal Mart bikes are just not well-made.

Candance said...

Uncle Sexy on a bike?!?!?!?! That is awesome! I hate the Wal-Mart with all my heart and soul, but The Artist Formerly Known As My Husband bought me one there for Mother's Day four years ago and I love it!! LOVE IT!! I've put a lot of miles on her and she's done just fine-and I think she was just barely over &100.00.

When all of this is stressing you out, just think of how toned your legs and ass will be from riding in Knoxville. And then there's that stuff about saving the environment which makes me all warm and fuzzy, but muscular legs and a rocking ass really motivates me!!

StephanieV said...

I agree, I'm sure you could get a decent one on Freecyle. John's bike was stolen a year ago and he got another one through Freecycle.

What happened to that nifty cruiser you used to have at UCA?

Also, Target has really nice bikes.

Steph

holly said...

Oh Timothy...I am amuzed and pleased by your work...as far as a bike, yes freecycle is good...but no Wal-Mart. If you want a bike that will last (pretty much a lifetime) so you won't have to buy another one in a couple of years, go to an actual bike shop...you may be freaked by the prices at first, but sometimes they will have "last year's models" or a post board where someone is selling a good used bike. I worked in bike shops for years, and though I no longer do, I still recommend that because the quality for price is WAY worth it. I worked on enough Wal-Mart bikes to know...don't do it. Look for the lower end, high end bikes, the cruisers; they aren't too highly priced, and will be built like bombers...

Anyway, I LOVE your writing, and I really don't say that to everyone. I found you via easystreet prompts, where I wrote a "girl most likely to" poem as well. Ck out my blog if you wish.

Monda said...

Whatever happened to Western Auto Stores? I don't remember buying a bike anywhere else.

Tim Sisk said...

I got a nifty green bicycle for Christmas when I was in 4th grade, and it came from the Western Auto!

Our old Western Auto is now Hazel's Family Restaurant.