As the weather gets progressively more freezing, and flannel shirts less ironic, something changes. Some of the less insane clean their gear and stow it away carefully for the following spring. Others pull on galoshes and rain suits. Still others slather on Mad Alchemy’s chocolate embrocation.
Me, I start to spend more time in front of a computer.
I’m sure I’m not the only one. There are, I’m sure, thousands of people who are doing the same exact thing. We haven’t stopped riding, or maybe some of us have, but we’re pulling up our sleeves and getting down to business. At the doorway of winter and already dreaming of next spring, the hunt is on.
Because, as any bike nerd knows, March is too late to start looking for a new ride.
Even as vertically challenged as I am – the options consequently being severely limited – the hunt for a perfect frameset can be as depressingly frustrating as trying to find the perfect bra. You find something cute and adorable and just the right color and the under-wire feels like it’s going to stab you in the ribs. Or something that actually fits right ends up being some electric blue, slightly geriatric thing that you’d rather die than be seen in. And then there are those awesomely sexy, black lacy things that any girl would look good in but you’re pretty sure it’s not meant for actual everyday use.
Then, of course, there’s the budget. Because while money can’t buy happiness, it can probably still buy you a bra bike made out of gold. Or Ti. Or carbon fiber. Or whatever’s going to be comfortable and supportive. But when you don’t have that much moolah, well, you sort of have to make do.
And like bras, bikes have a lot of moving parts. Does it fit right? Do you have to adjust the stem and dial in the seatpost? Maybe you were riding it all wrong in the first place. And while you may not be outdoors every day this winter, warmer weather will be here before you know it. That means if that ride isn’t ready, or just isn’t broken in enough, low-cut tops longer rides are going to be out of the question.
So between rolling out my IT bands and rolling on the rollers, I’m also spinning the scroll wheel of my mouse, scouring Specialized, Bianchi, and Trek, while dreaming of Cervelo and Pinarello. It might still be October, but it’s never too early to start hunting for spring gear. Bras or otherwise.
