bikes

Bikes

Here are the bikes that we bought

I got this one...


and M got this one


they look a little strange huh? Well, here is why... look how long that chain is.. check out where the pedals are.. they are not right below your feet like on a conventional bike.. instead it almost has a recumbant bike feel.. you sit perfectly upright.. check out the size of that head tube (where the handlebars go in) it's easily twice as big as a normal one. So you sit back and ride, like you were on a chopper.. it is very comfortable and the best part is.. when you come to a stop.. you don't have to hop off of your seat, you just put a foot down, becuase your seat is much lower to the ground becuase of the position of the pedals. This is a HUGE plus for M, because she is 5ft tall and this is the first normal sized bike that she feels comfortable with.

We experienced only one problem and it was a big one. On Sunday, we left on a bike ride at 11am.. we rode about 15 miles down the riverside.. there is a very long bike/jogging path. When we got to the end.. I looked at a sign and it showed that the path went over the river and back.. near to where our car would be... so we went on a new adventure.. over the river.. There were fewer people over there and it wasn't as shady, but it was ok.. until I noticed that my left crank was loose.. and it got looser and looser.. I had to stop now and then to hand tighten it.. but I thought.. well, we are almost to where the bridge will be to go back to our car... then.. the trail ended.. yup.. there was no way back across the river.. the only way back was to go back the 20 miles that we had just ridden. No big deal.. unless you have no left pedal.

Just as we got across the river, heading back.. my pedal fell off. well, actually the whole crank fell off. It isn't the fault of the bike.. it just wasn't tightened enought when the guy put it together.. but now.. I couldn't hand tighten it anymore... so we had to walk.. and walk we did.. fo 8.5 miles.. back to the car

It was grueling at some points.. when we realized that the car was much further away than we thought. Only two people out of the 100 or so that we saw along the way.. asked if we needed help.. One guy looked in his car for a wrench that would work. but he couldn't find one.. and a nice older man stopped to see if we needed a cell phone.. I told him that we didn't have anyone to call, but thanks anyway..

Eventually, we made it back to the car...at 5pm... Yes.. 6 hours after we started.

Now that is what I call exercise :)

Electra Bikes has some other really cool Crusisers

Check out the Rat Fink

or the Ghostrider

The thing is.. I want this bike to last a long time, so I went more conservative :) But, the style of the bikes and the company fit my style.. and I used to have a bike that was such a cool crusier.. charcoal black all custom.. that it reminded me of those days. I love riding bikes and have since I was very little. In college I had a 1969 Ford Fairlane Convertible car.. black on black and I had 2 cruiser bikes.. one was a black springfork cruiser from before WWII and the other was the custom that I would ride in empty pools.. crazy.. but that is how it was back then, and I guess still is.. just not for a 43 year old guy :)

These bikes make bike riding fun again.. all about comfort and enjoying riding.. not about going fast and passing everyone on the bike path.. hey.. if you get passed more.. you get to see more people :)

Check them out.. Electra bikes