Rejecting the Suburban Car Paradigm (TM)

I sold my car, Hailey, this month.  Thankfully, she went to two dear friends, Josh and Kadie, who will love on her and treat her right.  I feel rather Mr. Bennet-y about the whole thing, as I never imagined she would be sold with so little cost and inconvenience to myself.  But, they needed a new(ish) car and I had one to sell, and we all know and trust each other and everything went swimmingly.  Tra-la-la!  What a glorious turn of events!

So, I have coined a phrase to describe this new era in my life here in the 'burbs: "rejecting the suburban car paradigm."  Nearly everyone believes that you cannot live a full and complete life in the suburbs nowadays without a car.  Sadie and I are out to prove them wrong.  We'd put less than 200 miles on Hailey since August; I would start her once a week to pull her out a few feet to get to my Sunday School supplies in the file cabinet in the garage.  Other than that, Sadie and I have been effectively without a car all this fall and winter.  And, much like the ancient Persian couriers so esteemed by Herodotus, neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night shall stay we courageous suburban cyclists from our course.  And Sadie has (almost) stopped complaining about her eccentric, bicycle-loving mama to any and all marginally sympathetic ears.

I have found a new bike.  Heart! Heart! Heart!  It's a suh-weet Trek FX WSD 7.3:

 

I'm hoping to pick it up today from Bicycles West.  My current bike, Petunia, is way too small for me.  The frame of the FX (tentatively named Jack Black) will be 17".  Petunia is only 13".  When my legs are fully extended while pedaling her, the bend in my knee is close to 90°!  It's amazing I haven't blown a knee (or two!) out on these WA hills over the past four years.  Also, while at Bicycles West, I'm going to have Sadie's bike's mountain bike-style tires replaced with thinner, faster road tires.  Maybe she'll have an easier time keeping up with her old mom then.

 

So, here's to a new chapter in our suburban lives!  Bike on!