The Ear to Ear Standard

After test driving a few bikes, it was the Globe Vienna 1 that made me smile from ear to ear. I probably should have looked around more but I was itching to get back on the road and not with the ancient clunker that I’ve been riding.

Still, I made a few more calls and did more research even though the guy told me that it was spring and the bike might not be there when I got back. Finally, this guy in Illinois told me that Specialized had a 2009 Globe Vienna 2 in stock for the same price that I was going to pay for the 2010 Globe Vienna 1. I called the shop where I had taken the Globe for a test ride to ask them to order the bike for me.

Said salesman told me he checked and verified that the 2009 model was still in stock. Then, the question: May I ask why you want the 2009 model?

Hmm, let’s see. It’s an upgrade and it costs the same as the 2010 model???

Said salesman then told me that he had the 2009 in stock and that he would give it to me at the same price that Specialized had it discounted for.

I was disappointed when the fellow asked me why I wanted the 2009 model. Am I naive to expect people to play fair? When I told him about the 2009, he should have just said: The 2009 is a better deal.

I went to pick up my bike on Saturday and I was so nervous. I wondered if I should have looked around more. Maybe I should get my down payment back. Was I being extravagant?

Before I went to pick up my bike, I had to tighten the bolts on my bike rack which someone tried to relieve me of last year. Once I had the bike on the rack, I was praying that no one took that moment to run into me. Phew, no one did.

I took my Vienna 2 for a spin on Grant's Trail this afternoon and I saw a Clydesdale and a Cardinal along the trail... :)




All this bike talk reminds of the January 2010 Aha! Moment in The Oprah Magazine. Glenn Close said that she had a hard time saying vagina until she participated in Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues.

Who could say "vagina" out loud before that play? After being in it, I actually walked into a bike shop and asked for the "vagina-friendly" bike seat. I thought the guy behind the counter was going to pop a gasket. But it was the best way to describe what I was looking for.

Close said that she also had to learn to say schizophrenia, depression and bipolar. I really like what the actress had to say after talking about her sister who has bipolar disorder:

We are all connected, and none of us should ever feel marginalized, stigmatized, and alone.

Here's a better picture of my newbie...