Current mood:	relieved
Current music:	DeathBoy - "Black Morning"
Entry tags:	cycling

Back on the Road
I am now the proud owner of a Trek 7.3 bike. It's been a bit of a fortunate coincidence really...

I told Bicycle Doctor that I wanted to test-ride it, and had been told by them previously that they didn't have any 22.5" frames in stock. They said they could frig up an 18" frame with raised saddle and handlebars which would be good for a test-ride but not to purchase, and would call me when it was ready. I got a call back about twenty minutes later - somebody had ordered in a 22.5" frame Trek 7.3 and it was waiting to be tuned up for collection. I was told I could take it for a quick spin if I got there before it was collected.

The next day, I took it for a brief spin in a torrential downpour, and really liked it. The sitting position is more upright than my old bike, which feels more comfortable. The handlebars are padded and widened at the end, just where they got sore when riding on the old bike. It's a bit weird being higher off the road, and the wider tyres are taking a bit of getting used to, but they're still 700C diameter, which makes for a nice fast ride.

On returning from the test ride, I told the shop guy that I wanted to buy one. I was told that the person who'd ordered it had decided not to purchase after all, and so I could have the very bike I'd just test-ridden, the very next day. I ordered a pannier rack and mudguards, and an über D-lock, and had some lights thrown in for free.

On Tuesday I left the office at 5pm to collect my bike. Rush-hour traffic meant that I didn't get to the shop until 5:55pm, and the shutters were already down - they'd closed early. I was really upset by this, but then collared one of their employees coming out of the side door and asked him to fetch my bike. He said he couldn't process the sale since the tills were off, and I handed him the receipt which said I'd already paid in full.

So yay, new bike!