I Want to Ride My Bicycle

I went to a bike shop (Summit City Bicycles) in town today with a few friends after some brunch (Yes, brunch. It's delicious and it's not only for couples!). I had absolutely no intention of buying a bicycle in the near future but went for the adventure.

The shop reminded me of all the childhood memories on bikes I had with my siblings. It was great having a ramp on my driveway. It was like a launch pad or boost while heading out, whether that be to tennis, someone's house, or band practice. Since the driveway is quite long, I treated it as a runway for my bike entering the garage. It was great having hills around my neighbor, unlike anything around here in Indiana (As flat as it can be). Racing to the hills, whether it be the easy Shirley hill or the stepper Concord hill. I remember losing control on Concord hill and becoming slightly more cautious on the hill. I still remember every bump, tree roots, and uneven sidewalks (Which allowed us to do some great pop-a-wheelies!) in the neighbor.

In the cozy bike shop, there was a signed picture of Fabian Cancellara, who I remember winning a prologue in the Tour de France ahead of Lance Armstrong. This instantly brought memories of the years in middle school and high school where I would be addicted to the cycling world. For people who followed, the best moment of all time was "The Look" from Lance Armstrong to Jan Ullrich on Alpe D'Huez. Got to miss the boys in blue, the Postal Service. I may have not done it myself, but I was very intrigued by the sport. The team and individual aspects of the game were amazing. What really hooked me into the sport was Lance Armstrong's comeback to the sport. After reading his book "It's Not About The Bike: My Journey Back to Life", it really motivated me and he became a person I looked up to. I would definitely recommend the read to anyone!

Watch Amazing:

After these fond memories, I feel that a bike may enhance my life with even more great experiences and get healthier. I could even save on gas by riding it to and from work! I have always had bicycles under $150 my entire life so looking at bikes ranging from $450 to $5000 was quite different. But these will last much longer and will perform better, hopefully. I'm planning on buying a hybrid since I won't be riding on the best conditions on sideways and such. I guess no time trial bike and no crazy aerodynamic helmet for me.

So what is your stance, is spending $800 on a bike reasonable, outrageous, or going cheap? Having friends spend that much may (probably) influence in my decision to get a bike or not.

I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like