the basement of the alamo

Several months ago I thought about buying a bike. There were many reasons to do it, but one kind of big one why I hesitated: I wasn't sure if I could ride. Several years ago I borrowed by cousin Lee's bike in Vail for a brief ride. That adage about riding a bike didn't hold true - it was as though it was my first time riding. I could barely even turn the handlebars. When I finally got on the road I think my uncle Bob passed me going the other way, but I couldn't really tell because I was so concentrated on staying upright and on the road in front of me I couldn't look to the side. Pretty embarrassing.

Lelaine has even been talking about renting bikes and going for a ride for quite some time, but every time I came up with another excuse for why not. We were going to take out the bikes at the bed and breakfast we stayed at in Chincoteague over July 4, but decided to hit the beach instead.

So for several months I had the idea in my head but didn't take any action. But then one day I signed up for the free bike program at work and took one out to get lunch. Surprisingly, I didn't hurt myself and even enjoyed it. Despite the fact that the bike was baby blue with a bell and basket, I was hooked. The next day I went to Capital Hill Bikes and City Bikes, tested a few out, and made the big purchase. A lovely pewter and black 2009 Jamis Citizen 2.0 hybrid. That is it above and to the right.

The world of cycling is fascinating. First, bikes come in more than one size besides mens, womens, and kids, something I was completely unaware of. For my hybrid, I am a size 20.5. Second, choosing a lock is more complicated than trying to figure out some of the details of the bailout...I mean rescue...bill at work. I ended up with both a U-lock and a cable to secure both the frame/rear tire and the seat. Why do I need to keep my seat, or "saddle" in bike-speak, locked? Because I got the greatest seat in the world. It is huge. Two times bigger than most seats, which is good since I have twice the butt as most. And it has its own suspension system. It is the Rolls Royce of saddles, at least for people who want comfort.

I picked it up from the store this evening - it took a while to get the specific one I wanted in the right color from the wearhouse and assemble it , added some lights for safety, and took it out for a little ride tonight, but then it started raining so I headed in. Will likely go out for a longer ride this weekend. Lance Armstrong, I will go ahead and put you on notice now.

Anyone know from where I stole the title of the post? Pee Wee's Big Adventure. Curtis stole Pee Wee's bike and told him it was in the basement of the Alamo. Little did Pee Wee know, there is no basement in the Alamo.