Flashy Bike!
Nov. 17th, 2014 10:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stormdogHave I mentioned that I like being the center of attention these days? I had that experience at a bike shop today.
There's a shop that I peddle by twice a day on my commute. Since I was right there anyway, I figured I'd stop in and ask whether they're familiar with roller brakes and could troubleshoot the issue with mine. I got in the the door, propped my bike in a corner, and slowly took off all my winter layers. Mittens, helmet, balaclava, unzip ski jacket, turn off the route tracker on my phone, turn off the tracker on my Fitbit...
The staff member at the counter directed me to the bike repair guy. It was late in the season, he said, and they were converting over to skiing stuff, but they could probably get me in in a few days. What do I need?
I explained that my bike has roller brakes and that I'm not too familiar with them yet... He looked at my bike and registered surprise. "I'm not too familiar with those either!" he commented.
I ended up talking about all the weather-sealed and commuter-specific features on my bike. The roller brakes, the internally-geared hub, the wired, dynamo-powered headlight I just installed yesterday... Then another customer looked at my bike and asked about the Monkeylectric LED bar on my front wheel. I told her all about it and she decided she had to buy one for her brother as a birthday present. It kind of felt like I'd pulled into a local mechanic's shop with an exotic sports car.
They also commented on how few people are out on bikes in this weather, and that I must be pretty hardcore to keep going all winter, especially in cold like this.
Didn't get any repairs done, but it was kind of an ego boost. *laughs*
Then, on the way back out, one of the staff members offered to hold the door for me. "Thanks," I said, "but it'll take me a little while to suit up!" Zip the jacket, put on the balaclava, put on my helmet, adjust my mirror, start my trackers, put on my mittens....
---
Oddly enough, I'm actually warmer with the temperature in the teens than in the 20s. In the 20s, it's too warm for my ski jacket, so I wear my flannel which is a little chilly. In the teens, it's just *cold* enough for the ski jacket, which is ridiculously warm! I've never yet been in weather cold enough to zip the armpit zippers closed....
There's a shop that I peddle by twice a day on my commute. Since I was right there anyway, I figured I'd stop in and ask whether they're familiar with roller brakes and could troubleshoot the issue with mine. I got in the the door, propped my bike in a corner, and slowly took off all my winter layers. Mittens, helmet, balaclava, unzip ski jacket, turn off the route tracker on my phone, turn off the tracker on my Fitbit...
The staff member at the counter directed me to the bike repair guy. It was late in the season, he said, and they were converting over to skiing stuff, but they could probably get me in in a few days. What do I need?
I explained that my bike has roller brakes and that I'm not too familiar with them yet... He looked at my bike and registered surprise. "I'm not too familiar with those either!" he commented.
I ended up talking about all the weather-sealed and commuter-specific features on my bike. The roller brakes, the internally-geared hub, the wired, dynamo-powered headlight I just installed yesterday... Then another customer looked at my bike and asked about the Monkeylectric LED bar on my front wheel. I told her all about it and she decided she had to buy one for her brother as a birthday present. It kind of felt like I'd pulled into a local mechanic's shop with an exotic sports car.
They also commented on how few people are out on bikes in this weather, and that I must be pretty hardcore to keep going all winter, especially in cold like this.
Didn't get any repairs done, but it was kind of an ego boost. *laughs*
Then, on the way back out, one of the staff members offered to hold the door for me. "Thanks," I said, "but it'll take me a little while to suit up!" Zip the jacket, put on the balaclava, put on my helmet, adjust my mirror, start my trackers, put on my mittens....
---
Oddly enough, I'm actually warmer with the temperature in the teens than in the 20s. In the 20s, it's too warm for my ski jacket, so I wear my flannel which is a little chilly. In the teens, it's just *cold* enough for the ski jacket, which is ridiculously warm! I've never yet been in weather cold enough to zip the armpit zippers closed....
