Here's the Deal with the Bike

Ok, so full disclosure on the new bike. My first attempt at buying a bike was a disaster (see the Street Machine in the bottom picture). I was trying to save money and buy a bike off Craig's List, so I found a purple cruiser online in Long Beach for $50. I was driving down to San Diego to see Ry and Jess anyway, so I figured it was on the way. Note: it was not really on the way. I had been emailing with a woman selling her bike, but when I arrived in her sketchy neighborhood, it was actually a man selling a child's dirtbike. At this point, a normal person would have said "Thanks, but this isn't what I was looking for. Thanks anyway." I am immediately afraid of getting murdered by this strange man, so I sit on the bike ("it fits you perfectly!" he says). I hear dogs barking (loudly) from inside his house and am sure I'll get mauled by pitbulls if I don't buy the bike. Then his neighbor drives up in a black El Camino (seriously) and I am now positive I'm going to get murdered. I decide the bike is probably fine and just throw $50 at him and speed away. I arrive in San Diego and Ryan is like "why did you buy a child's dirt bike?" Crap!! I am now puzzled as to why I can't just be a normal person and not buy a crazy street machine from a weird guy in Long Beach with two pit bulls and an El Camino next door. I digress...I actually try out the street machine along the beach in San Diego while Ry and Jess are surfing. It is a disaster. I definately bought a child's bike. Double crap!

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My birthday rolls around the next week and I decide to just buy the bike I wanted in the first place and am now the proud owner of a pink beach cruiser with a pretty pink basket. Pink and red beach cruisers were on sale at Chubby's as part of a Valentine's Day Sale so the bike was only $115 (it was the cheapest one in the store and has the peddle brakes, but I loved it). It's cute, right? I've ridden it from Santa Monica Pier to Venice Beach a couple of times, which has been wonderful. Lesson learned.