Good on ya', Leah! Great story!cheers from Oz,Andrew
From: LeahFoy <jonasandle...@gmail.com>
To: RBW Owners Bunch <rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2017 3:22 AM
Subject: [RBW] The One in Which LeahFoy Races the Carbon Riders Up Killer Hill
*The following contains anecdotes about pretty bikes and cute clothes and girly
hashtags. Not suitable for all audiences. Those without sense of humor ought
not proceed.*
I was feeling pretty good on this breezy and sunny morning as I biked up Killer
Hill on TBBITW. The boys were safely deposited at school, their bikes in the
racks and backpacks on their backs. I was unladen and free and feeling the
contentment one can only feel after one has been shopping the day before and
bought cute new clothes. I had on a simple tee (new), shorts (also new) and my
(new) favorite thing (heaven help me, my husband really should make me get a
job!), a white, wide-brimmed hat in a style I have coined "outdoor chic." On my
lovely bike, sailing along I felt like #thatsdarling and not even Killer Hill
could dampen the mood! Towards the worst of the hill I happened to catch
something in my peripheral vision. Two riders, donning full lycra on fat-tubed
carbon bikes with helmets and helmet mirrors and clippy shoes, were on the
other side of the road amidst traffic trying to conquer the hill. I found the
whole thing hilarious, as I imagined I looked like some sort of caricature of a
"real" rider to them. I don't know what came over me. The Bike Snob has made
fun of people who do exactly this, but I lost all control of myself and I did
it: I shifted into the granny gear and let my legs fly as I raced those guys up
Killer Hill.
The older guy beat me, fair and square, but barely. The other guy pushed his
bike up the hill. He circled the roundabout, passed by and said something about
"good job on that hill." I told him I do it twice a day, laughed a bit and
carried on. Moments later, I was aware of someone behind me on the path. There
he was again! And he wanted a word with me.
"How many gears does that bike have?" he asked, pulling even with me.
"I don't know. It's friction shifting."
"What a cool bike! It's an old one!" he exclaimed, riding abreast of me.
"Actually, I got it in 2012. It's a Rivendell - they take all the best things
from the past and all the best things from the present, put them together and
create this awesome bike. It's lugged steel and perfect and I will be riding it
still in 40 years."
He talked bout the touring he does and how he misses biking in CA (me, too) and
how he has big plans for an upcoming trip with 38,000 feet of climbing. Then we
stopped so he could wait for his buddy and really look over TBBITW. He loved
the grips ("Are they wooden?!"), he loved the bars ("Wow, I really like the
shape of those!"), he admired the racks ("I love how you have these racks and
panniers!"). He asked me all about Rivendell, and I did my best to tell him. He
had never heard of it, so I tried to jog his memory (Do you read the Bike Snob?
Heard of Bridgestone? No?). I fear we're in different biking worlds, I said. I
finally hit pay-dirt when I asked if he's ever heard the term "retrogrouch."
Yeah, in fact he had. "Well that was coined to describe Grant Petersen." I hope
I told him right; that was my understanding, at least. He continued to notice
little details on my bike and I continued to purr like a cat on the inside,
because how often does ANYONE appreciate my retro-beach-cruiser-no gears-bike?
Finally, someone who was beginning to see it for what it is. A legit bike that
is beautiful and functional and can beat you up Killer Hill.
His buddy finally arrived and was so worn out he wouldn't even get off his
bike; he rode it in slow circles as he gasped for breath. He gave me the side
eye as I stood there in my silly outfit with my silly bike, having beat him by
a mile. Oh, I hope he has a sense of humor!
"Come and look at this girl's bike!" said his friend.
"Let's go get Starbucks, " he said, "I'm burning up."
You can't win 'em all, folks! But maybe rivbike.com will get a new visitor, and
possibly a new bike order.
Yours, Leah
PS. Two photos for visuals to this zany tale. 1. No one can ignore a bike this
gorgeous! Robin's egg blue with red heart lugs, and all the bags you could
want, for crying out loud! 2. And this hat, which is 30% off right now and
would look splendid with your fancy Rivs. #thatsdarling
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