Buying a bike

Let me start by telling you everything I know about bicycles:

They have two wheels.

There, that is everything I know about bikes.

That being said, the idea of purchasing a good bike that will make it all the way across the Pacific Coast is a little bit overwhelming.  I did some Internet research and that left me feeling even more inadequately informed about buying a bike.  Fortunately, I have a great brother-in-law who is into triathlons and he was willing to help me out.  So, over fall break I headed up to Michigan to go bike shopping with him and his family. 

We went to a couple different shops and I ended up getting the Tricross from Specialized.  My brother-in-law was in charge of the technical part (computer, pedals, and that sort of thing).  My sister took care of the color coordination (went with the gray and white bike and a white helmet).  And I was in charge of paying the bill.  To say the least, for a girls who is too cheap to pay for cable, this was a BIG bill.  My bank even called to alert me that an unusual purchase had been made.  It may have been a big purchase, but I think it is worth it...and I don't even have any buyers remorse. 

The bike is being ordered and made and I get to pick it up at Thanksgiving. 

A big thank you to everyone who helped in the bike purchasing process, including my little nephews who hung out at the bike shops with us.  The day was a success.  We even ended up with two stuffed animals, a fleece blanket, and some balloons!