Bryon and the Bike

My husband LOVES biking. He has been a want-to-be enthusiast for years. This year, he talked me into getting him a Trek 2200 for his birthday. This picture isn't Bryon's actual bike but his is just like it. Now I don't know a whole bunch about bikes. My husband and I have really nice mountain bikes sitting in the garage. I don't understand why he needed a different bike when the one in the garage is in perfect condition. It is made for "mountain" biking is his answer. He really wanted a "street" bike. So I learned a little bit more about this bike he so badly wanted. They are super light weight. Also they are used by people that are big into racing. I decide that we will get him one this year. I admit part of my reasoning was a little guilt ridden. Bryon always lets me buy what I want and never once complains yet Bryon never wants for much or even asks for stuff. I am finding out fast that when he does it is BIG items! So going into this whole process, I was thinking if we spent no more than $400 that would be one great bike. I mean come on, you can buy a bike at your local Wal-Mart for $60 so $400 should be more than enough to get a great bike. We watched these bikes on Craigs List and E-Bay. Bryon poured over the internet every night for at least one hour trying to find the perfect bike. Well, the end of May, I bid on this bike on E-Bay and won. I was so excited. I printed off a paper saying I had won, put it in an envelope and had it sitting on Bryon's plate that night saying Happy Birthday and Happy Father's Day. No I didn't get the bike for $400 it was more like $500. Bryon waited anxiously every day for that bike to get here. It finally did. After showing it to a guy in the neighborhood that is into biking, he informed Bryon the shaft or something like that was bent. So Bryon tells me that a used part will be $50 and a new part would be $100. I am already mad. I spent $100 more than I wanted to on that stupid bike and now we have to throw more money into it. My charitable attitude that started me down this whole process is fast fading away. So a trip to the bike shop and $50 later. . . . You would think Bryon would be good to go. NO! Think again! The bike came with special pedals. The ones where you have to have the special biking shoes to put in the pedals. So Bryon did his homework and found a bike shop 30 minutes away that sells biking shoes starting at $60 but going clear up to like $600! I am beginning to wonder if these shoes are gold plated. So Bryon got some birthday money that he decided he wanted to spend on these shoes. I try to tell him that "Starting at $60" means that he probably won't come out with the $60 shoe. It means barebone minimum. It is like a new housing subdivision going in, the ads always say "houses starting at $130,000". However, do you know a single person in that subdivsion that got that $130,000 house?!? NO! Bryon is just sure that he can walk into the store and buy that $60 shoe. Yeah Right! So he called me yesterday after his big purchase: shoes -- $125. That is a long cry from the $60 shoe he went in for and it is also a huge gap from the $50 he had set aside to buy the shoes with. But in the back of my mind I am breathing a sigh of relief because he should be ready to ride: he has the biking shorts, the biking shirt, his helmet, the bike and now the shoes. I should know better than to think that way! He calls me last night. (He happened to go to this town to get his new shoes. Sam had been down hauling hay with his Grandpa Joe. Bryon was going to go get his shoes, go the office where we works part-time, work and then meet up with his parents and Sam for a Bar-B-Que and a Chuckars game.) When he got bought his shoes, he had the guy fix them so Bryon wouldn't have to because Bryon admits he knows nothing about this. The guy mentions to Bryon that he should go on a "test drive" to make sure the shoes are working with the pedals and so forth. Bryon didn't have time to do that, he had to be to work. He loaded his bike back into the car and went to work. After work, he had some time before he had to meet his parents so he went back to the bike shop to test ride his bike in their parking lot. Well, he ended up falling off his bike. The way Bryon explained it to me was he could get one foot out of the pedal but couldn't get the other foot out so he had no way to brace his fall. His legs, arms and hands were all pretty scraped up not to mention he CHIPPED HIS FRONT TOOTH HALF OFF! I tried to be sympathetic but in my mind all I see is more $$$$ we are having to put out for this STUPID BIKE! I said to him just before we hung up the phone, I hope all this money we are throwing into this bike is going to be worth it. Bryon's response is "I think it will be." Now I understand you just fell off your bike and are hurting desperately. However, we are now into that bike $1,000 your response should not be "I think it will". I want to hear, "HECK YEAH HONEY IT'S WORTH EVERY PENNNY!"


When Bryon got home last night from the game, he did look pretty scraped up not to mention with his tooth chipped he looked like a Redneck Biker. His mouth was hurting so bad last night, he ended up going into the dentist last night. (I am trying really hard not to think about the extra fee for the after hours emergency!) He ended up having chipped three teeth off and not one. The dentist is a good friend of ours. He got Bryon mostly fixed up. Bryon has to go back in on Friday for some finishing work. He suggested Bryon take up swimming instead of biking.


Bryon, this whole episode was just to funny not to share. Honey, I really do love you!