"i get sales talk from sales assistants"-martin fry of ABC
today I got on the bike
it was awesome
not well planned
but awesome just the same
as per usual
it all worked out
loaded up the car with the kids and drove from grand lake to winter park
not a long drive
40 minutes, well, a tad longer than forty minutes as we searched for a place to drop our recycling and dump our trash
arrived in winter park and scanned the area for a mountain bike
went to a number of shops and was less than pleased with the selection
a good number of deore level hardtails
nothing with disc brakes
nothing in my size
at one shop the sales person asked me what I rode
I told him a 22 inch 29er
asked me my inseam... I told him my bike size
he told me we were the same size and he rode a 19 inch bike
I withheld my east coast and took my attention elsewhere
he was six foot
I am six four
that is not the same size
and
I doubt that he rides a ninteen inch frame
asshole...
hope he comes east to dc and asks me for directions
I will send his green horn ass straight to anacostia
the other shops were less aggressive with the improper fitting
the third shop sent me to a shop in fasier
while all shops should have sent me to the base of the mountain
but... I feared getting to the base of the mountain and not finding anything in my size
just as I fear getting to the bowling alley or the skating rink and them not having shoes in my size
so I settled with what I could get in frasier
a 20 inch double banger
a short cockpit on a heavy bike
but... figured it could work for the day
it had disc brakes
loaded it in the car and headed to the base of the Zephr chair at Winter Park
where I saw a line of big travel Konas that looked nicer that the bike whose manufacturer I have already forgotten
the sales person at Totally Wired was cool and helpful so he got my business
was totally stoked with my decision to ride the chair lift rather than guessing around some xc trails around the area
an 11 minute chair ride fed me onto all sorts of terrain... most of which pointed me down
rode a few times
got lost once
was having too much fun to notice that I was off the designated trails
did not complain
was still on single track
was just pointed away from the mountain
got to get a little cardio as I worked the flats to get back to the base of the mountain
most of the ride was in the woods and I guessed the right way back
so it was all good
while I rode lisa and the boys indulged themselves to the summer activities of winter park
there were all sorts of things for them to do.... climbing walls, alpine slides, bungee assisted trampolines, minature golf... and yes more.... did I say more
sure it was a heafty ticket... but not for kids five and under
it was good to see my wife and kids smiling each time when I got to the base of the mountain
we met for lunch
just as I told lisa I would rather ride than eat.... thunder and lightning rolled in
with lightening in the sky... the lifts closed
our day was cut short
which was fine...
it was time for grant to take a nap
so we pointed the mini-van rental for grand lake
dropping off my rental in frasier on the way home
everyone was tired
everyone was smiling
well... other than grant
as grant was napping
I wanted to nap
but I was driving
napping while driving is bad