New bike

Well, new to me anyway. Last year, when the snow began to fall, Andy generously gave me a mountain bike to ride through the winter. It was a bit too small for me, but it served me well for almost 1000 miles. But, after my spill last Monday, I decided I needed to get at least one studded snow tire. Well, I wasn't sure the bike was worth the cost of a tire, so I asked the bike shop if they had anything used. They didn't have anything on site, but they told me to call back the next day to remind them to look at their other location. I did and they told me they would call me back if they found something.

Midway through last Thursday afternoon, they called me and told me to stop by on my way home. I did, and what they had was a beautiful Specialized cross bike—a cross bike is one that is part mountain bike, part road bike; it is a great commuter bike. The best part is that it was essentially new. They had rented it out for 2 years and needed to retire it for a new model. Because they had already gotten most of their money out of it through rentals, they could offer it to me very cheaply. I took them up on it! "But," I asked, "do you have a studded snow tire for it?" They thought they did, but would have to look.

I stopped by Friday night to pick it up and pay for it. Sure enough, they had found a studded snow tire for the front. I road it home, with the studs singing against the pavement. The bike cut right through the ice on the path without a slip or slide!

This weekend, Debbie and I went to REI in Chicago to pick up a pair of boots for me. While we were there, I also grabbed a very nice rain jacket. My old one had started leaking—too many falls and years had done it in.

So, I feel spoiled: new bike, studded snow tire, new jacket, new boots. What more could I want?