Saturday, April 12, 2008

My Hot Summer Romance

I got me a new bicycle yesterday, a Specialized Sirrus in sleek black.

His name is Wendell G. (
Wendell means "wanderer" in German), - and he's spectacular.

The above photo is just an approximation, as Wendell is tricked out with all kinds of top-of-the-line commuter bike accoutrements - fenders, blinking lights, a rack for the back and -
hells yeah - a bell. He's even got an intricate award-winning lock system which locks my wheels and seat making him (or rather, his parts) much more difficult to be stolen. (Chicago ranks #2 in the US for bicycle thefts, but #1 in per-capita thefts. Isn't that awesome?) Wendell G. is the frickin' Batmobile of commuter bikes, yo.

He's almost too pretty to ride
*, but I'm confident that after just a few weeks of braving Milwaukee Avenue potholes and crazy-ass drivers, he'll have some sweet battle scars and won't be just another pretty face.

My other bike,
Veronica, has been good to me and I'm going to keep her close. She was the best $105 Craigslist investment I ever made. But she's getting a little long in the tooth (actually, she was already long in the tooth when I got her) and she's a big girl (I'm pretty sure she's made of iron and weighs around 80 pounds). And she's purple. The great things about Veronica are that if hit by a car, the car would have more damage, and nobody would want to steal her.

But I figured since I'm spending about an hour a day 3-4 times a week commuting to/from school and work, it was time to treat myself to an upgrade. The original plan was to buy something more down-market, but really, who was I kidding? I am a sucker for new, pretty, shiny things. And the sales guy was cute. And did I mention I was a sucker?


Anyway, I think Wendell G. and I are going to have a good summer. We'll go to Pitchfork, Lollapalooza, the Lakefront, rooftop parties, backyard barbecues, etc. Don't be jealous.

PS - this post is very timely, since it is fucking snowing outside at the moment.

* That's what she said.

17 comments:

House of Jules said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
House of Jules said...

I'm glad you put "almost" in there, because if there's one thing my grandma made clear to me over the years, it's that they're never TOO pretty to ride. Heh. Congrats on the new boy toy!
Jules
House of Jules

Frank said...

Does it come with red, white, and blue streamers? Because it's just not a bike without those.

And beware of those old iron bikes, or whatever they're made of. I left my old bike in the garage for a few years once I started driving, and it turned into a big orange, rust blob. Shaped like a bike.

Mighty Dyckerson said...

Does it have a sunroof?

KAZ said...

Let's hope something goes a bit wrong then you can go and see that cute sales guy again.

karla said...

My grandma always used to warn me to stay away from men who name their bicycles. I never actually knew one til now. That grandma of mine really knew her shit.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater said...

I likes the new lay-out! Will you pimp MY blog?

Hey, can I call your bike Mr. Wendel, like the Arrested Development song? Can Mr. Wendel and my bike be friends?

The [Cherry] Ride said...

TO ALL:: What, no REM fans out there? Thought someone would get the reference. Nevermind.

Jules:: My grandma said the same thing to me, too!

Frank:: Starting to get nervous that your Arch Nemesis has a better bike than you? Yeah,I thought so...

Dyck:: I got the sports package, so yeah. Plus heated seats!

KAZ:: I get two years of free tune-ups, so I will be back!

Karla:: My grandma said the same thing to me, too! But the truth is, guys who name their bicycles are cool.

Mr. Shain:: Sigh. I got an awesome car already. And it was time for a change to the look of the blog.

Dr. Ken:: Not sure he's a "Mr. Wendell" but for you, sure. And yes, let's arrange a play date for our bicycles.

House of Jules said...

Wendell Gee! I did NOT pick up on that at all until you mentioned REM, which would disappoint my grandma (j/k. I don't know why I gotta bring my grandma into this)!
Jules
House of Jules

ReckenRoll said...

I'm with Mr. Shain. Header is creeping me out...a lot.

It was 70 in Seattle yesterday. Then it rained and froze all day today. Global warming sucks.

Mr. Shain said...

i comment because i care.

JUSTIN said...

Damn - that is one Cherry Ride (come on - someone had to say it)!

Some Guy said...

Congrats! He looks just like you!

Miao 妙 said...

Your bikes seem to have personalities of their own.

Spammon said...

I keep telling myself I'm going to ride to the bus stop. I did it once, then I haven't been able to get my lazy arse out of bed.

5 of 9er said...

JEALOUS!

Michael5000 said...

Sweet! I really should get a new bike to replace my 1989 80-pound iron monster.... but I really LIKE the 80-pound iron monster.... I've probably ridden 15000+ miles on it, and shit, it still works....