August 30, 2008 | Filed under: un-vlogged, Uncategorized
My new sweet, sweet ride!
By missbhavens from The Beautiful (but darn hilly) Catskills on 8/30/2008
Pros: Reasonably lightweight, SMOOTH, Agile, Handsome, Feels sturdy
Cons: Tricky shifting, Squeaky Breaks
Best Uses: Pavement, Path, Commuting
Describe Yourself: Casual/ Recreational
After my beloved (insert popular 7-speed cruiser-type bike company name here) met an untimely midsummer death by flying off the back of my fiancees truck (he was not my fiancee for the remainder of that weekend, but he’s since been forgiven) I was in need of some new wheels.
Up until I started shopping I would have categorized myself as the most casual of cyclists. I bike into town to get butter and eggs and cherry Slush Puppies. That is all. I wanted more, but I’m in pretty hilly terrain, and I assumed that it was my legs and not my bike that was holding me back from seeing more of the scenery. Not so.
What I needed was a far more powerful bike with oodles of speeds on it. This was WAY more bike than I was used to! I was chugging up hills I wouldn’t have dreamed of tackling with my old bike, and I was FLYING downhill so fast I was both exhilarated and a wee nervous.
I do find that shifting the gears on the left (1 2 3)can be clunky. Takes a little wiggling to make sure you’re in the gear you’re after. A friend mentioned that they need to “break in” a little, so I’m hoping this is true. The right gears (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8) however, are smooth like Cool Whip and have given me no troubles yet. The only other issue is that at high speeds the breaks squeak quite a bit.
This series of bikes caught my eye because of the step-in frame (I don’t care if people think it’s sissy, it’s EASIER!) and because I have a weak, twitchy lower back. I simply cannot hunch over a bike for long and hope to enjoy myself. I sat up straight on my old bike and I was looking for the same in a replacement.
I’m 5′9″ with long appendages and I actually *can’t* quite sit up straight on the largest sized 7200WSD, but I’m darn close and plan on having the handlebars adjusted upwards a bit to correct this, but it hasn’t stopped me from riding whenever I get the chance.
This bike is smooth, comfortable, fast, nimble, easy to ride and it’s an eye-catcher. Love that eggplant color! It handles well on pavement and dirt paths (avoid deep gravel, though, or you’ll skid out!) and hops onto curbs and over smaller tree roots no problem. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone with lower back problems who misses cycling, anyone who wants a hot-looking bike, anyone with a commute who wants to save on gas, and anyone who wants a comfortable ride while enjoying the scenery!
I’m crazy about my new bike!
(legalese)
