Shopping for cycling

I've noticed something about hobbies. They force you to go shopping.

Unlike many women, I am not normally a big fan of shopping. Other than for Christmas shopping, you will rarely see me at the mall or at any store, for that matter. I do like checking out thrift shops and garage sales, but even at those I am not exactly a big spender.

But the bike shop (or the bike department of a sporting-goods store) is another story. I stopped in at MEC twice this week. If I ride through the city, it is right on my way. And today I urgently needed a helmet. 

Yesterday my need for a helmet was not as urgent, but on the weekend when Teenage Son had to change his tire, I realized how handy it is to have spare tubes in stock, especially since Canadian Tire doesn't carry all the needed sizes. So I bought two each for Hubby's and my bikes. And a set of tire levers to keep in the garage.

At lunchtime yesterday I walked to Forzani's Tech Shop. I like to go for a walk anyway on my lunch break and this store is sort of irresistible. They cram a lot of stuff into a small space and always have some good sales. I combed through the myriad pairs of cycling shorts until I finally found two extra-smalls, on sale for about $25 each. Score! It's hard to find the smallest size, especially at that price. Now I can get rid of my too-big pairs -- they kept catching on the nose of the bike saddle. 

 
And last week, while I was off work, I ran into a great deal on a vintage 10-speed road bike, similar to the one I had when I was in high school. But better. This one has classy deep red paint and a step-thru frame. It is in great condition, although I did need to replace the back tire. 


I'm afraid Bike Shop Guy didn't feel the vintage vibe and used a plain black rubber tire instead of the gumwall.  Oh well, it still looks pretty good and it's fun to ride. I am still getting used to it, though, and so far have only ridden on the trails close to home.