Like this:

We continued our quest for new bikes today by making an impromptu visit to Austin’s Bicycle Sport Shop. We stopped here on the way home from brunch and Iced  Turbos from Jo’s Coffee.

Mmmm. Turbos. They have good ice.

So we manage to walk all the way to the back of the warehouse where we spoke with Jim. This middle aged man (who looks like tomorrow’s Santa Claus) showed us the Townie from Electra and told us all about flat foot technology. Sounds weird at first but then starts sounding really comfortable.

Let’s give it a spin, right? I see a wince from Jim. We’re told we have to come back when we don’t have skirts on. Turns out the Bicycle Sport Shop exhibits tactics similar to the panty liners you see when you try on underwear; keeping crotchal regions sanitary I guess.

No worries, we stopped at University Cyclery on the way home.  They let us have a “free ride” with skirts on. This time we tried a Giant, another sorta-cruiser bike. Only, this cruiser was a one-speed.

Lesson learned about one-speeds: they say you never forget how to ride a bike but you might forget how to stop on a one-speed. I saw Deirdre pull a Fred Flinstone by dragging her heels just in time to avoid putting a good ding in a Ford Focus. No hand brakes? It takes a bit getting used to.

We still weren’t ready to buy. Fork over $380 to ride around a one-speed bike in a somewhat hilly Austin? I live at the apex of a rather steep hill; that’s going to be tough without gears. (Yes, I said apex. I’m an engineer and proud of my geeky vernacular.)