I have a new bike!

I went to a bike shop called CycleSmith's, down Shelbyville Road in Louisville, just on a whim. I talked to Brian, the person in charge there, and he was very knowledgeable and approachable, which was great for a bumbling idiot like me. I had a look around the used bikes upstairs, found one Brian said would be good for my budget, three sets of seven gears, in great condition from one previous owner, fully equipped with fenders, rear rack, and bottle rack. $275. I enlisted my mom to pay for it, since I don't yet have the money, and Brian said to expect any used bikes to be gone quickly. She said she would (public thanks to her).

So here's the thing.

It's taking me a bit of time to get used to it. Part of it is that the handlebars are lower than I'm used to, combined with the seat being much higher than I'm used to. I now have to actually get off of the seat when I'm stopped, standing over the middle bar, then use the pedal as leverage to jump back to the seat to get moving again. I wasn't aware that was how high the seat ought to be. It took me a handful of tries to get used to it before riding the bike home from the shop. Since getting it home, I've taken it on a few laps around the nearby mall. It's a very smooth ride compared to what I've had previously.

It'll be interesting to see what it's like to ride it over the next several days. I'll be developing a bit of upper body strength, for possibly the first time in my life.