I have spent a fair amount of coin on bikes between Feb '08 and Sept '08. If my wife only knew how much I have really spent, I think she would have some issues with me. However, she can't complain too much as I have never been in such great shape since we met, and probably the best shape I have been in since running track and cross country in high school (it was a heck of a lot easier to be in shape at that age).
To spend that much money on what the 'average Joe' (not the plumber) might think as frivolous or crazy, I wasn't going to dump my hard earned cash at the local bikemart. I found this little boutique bike shop called Schwab Cycles housed in a working car wash about two miles from my house. At first sight before even stepping through the door, I was thinking "you've got to be kidding me, a car wash?"
As soon as I entered the door though, I realized that Schwab was a very serious bike shop. At that time I wasn't really shopping for a bike, but more or less trying to figure out if I was interested in getting back in the saddle again. I had been doing a lot of mountain biking, and it was February so the season was going to get started again. I was not looking forward to trying to get into shape on a mountain bike. Almost every trail I know of instantly goes straight up, and being fat and out of shape brings on severe suffering and discomfort even at the slowest pace possible.
