The Bike
In 1984 I bought my first good road bike, a Schwinn Super Sport for which I paid $399. That bike and I remained together until I bought my current bike in 2006. I rode the Schwinn in college, from 1985-1990, at the University of Florida from Gatortown Apartments to campus. I jumped off curbs, ran through potholes, and beat the hell out of that bike. In 2005 I started riding again, and jumped on the Schwinn. I have always had a sadistic side to myself, one of denial when it comes to purchasing good gear. Whether it is golf clubs, computers, or even a GPS for an airplane I have felt I did not deserve to buy what I need and had to make do with what I had. However, for my kids and wife I take the opposite approach and ensure they have the best. Yeah, it’s messed up.
Another part of my sadistic side though is a test of my commitment. In this case, in 2005, told myself if I rode 300 miles I would get a new bike; thus proving my determination.
I bought a Trek 1000 from my local bike shop (LBS) Fox Firestone in New Smyrna. A quick fit and I ended up with a 63cm bike. For this article, I will discuss what I have and basic gear on the bike. Future articles discuss the fit.
The Trek is both criticized and praised. Again, I could have spent more money but wanted to test my commitment. At $800, the Trek had/has a carbon fiber fork and seat post. My bike came in “Flare”, a dazzling paint job. Combined with some Bontrager parts, Alexis rims, and several other decent components for a mass-produced bike it hit the mark.
I remember my first rides on it, the biggest change was the width of the handlebars versus my old Schwinn. Also, the shifters were now integrated with the brakes near the hoods. The bike came with standard pedals and toe clips and I continued to ride in tennis shoes. It felt great and I was moving faster.
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