The new bike

A few weeks ago I bought a new bike.  I've not had a stellar track record with bikes in my life, particularly new bikes, but perhaps there'll be more on that in another post.  Suffice it to say that the new bike I bought a year ago is no longer in my possession, and the new bike I bought 3 years ago is not in great condition.

In any case, the new bike is a Specialized Cross Trail which is a sort of road bike/mountain bike hybrid.  It's definitely not a mountain bike, but it does have shocks and all in all is a little more rugged than the last bike I had which was a pretty standard road bike.  It rides well without being too heavy/difficult.  Two of the selling points were disc brakes which make it a lot easier to pop a tire and throw it in the back of the car (among other benefits) and a lockout on the shocks for riding on paved surfaces.

It's a good bike for me since for the most part I'm riding on paved trails, but occasionally take a little rougher paths.  There's a few trails around here that are gravel or dirt, plus its nice to be able to go across grass or other ground surfaces without too much trouble.  It's also rugged enough I feel comfortable going over curbs and such without being worried I'm going to bend a wheel.  At 225 lbs that's a real possibility, particularly over time.  I don't do any "real" mountain biking  but if I ever got the inclination I do still have my last mountain bike (the one in poor shape, but it works).

Since I bought it I've put almost 200 miles on it, and it's been running great.  With any luck this bike will last (and not get stolen).  Here's hoping. . .