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As you know, Tom and I are both working on fitting more exercise into our lives. Tom’s really been enjoying taking the Capital Bikeshare bikes out, and since my ability to get exercise by going to dance class is limited by things like “wanting to be home once in a while” and “teachers going home for the holidays,” I thought I’d try it too. I just needed a helmet.

So I headed to Capitol Hill Bikes today with my recently-purchased Groupon to secure a helmet. Am a responsible adult! The staff helped me out, I picked out a comfy-but-secure helmet, and Tom and I headed right for the Bikeshare racks.

After some initial confusion in getting a bike out of the rack for me, we hit a serious snag: I am WAY too short to ride a Bikeshare bike. Even with the saddle in the lowest position, I pretty much can’t stop the bike without risking injury to one or more delicate areas of my person.

So I sent Tom off on his ride and took the car right back to Capitol Hill Bikes. I walked in, helmet in hand, and said, “Guys, I was just here a little while ago to buy this helmet, and now I have a problem. The helmet is great! But I’m too short for Bikeshare! And now I’m just pissed and want to get on a bike. So, um, I think I need my own?”

The CHB staff was great; they spent half an hour looking up bike models, debating which size vs. which price is reasonable for someone just trying to get back on a bike after not riding for 15 years, pulling a bike off the rack so I could sit on it and see how it felt… We all agreed on the right combination of bicycle type/size/price.

The only problem was… there was only one bicycle like that in the store, and someone else had already put a deposit down on it. So no test-riding someone else’s bike today (though I did get to sit on it and see if it fit). 

They decided to order one for me, but didn’t ask for a deposit since I’m a newbie who won’t get to test it out for a week. 

But then a couple of hours ago, CHB called to say the person who had reserved the bike had just canceled the order.

So Tom and I are going to swing by the shop again tomorrow. If the test ride goes well, this is going to be my new friend: the Bianchi Cortina Dama. In cream.