Last winter I was so focused on my needs as a winter biker that I neglected the needs of my winter bike almost entirely. The lack of care resulted in my little pink Diamondback’s demise. It was clear that restoring my bike to a useable condition would take more money than it was worth. I needed a new (to me at least) mountain bike to stick studded tires on.
Today my dad and I dropped off my brother and sister at the Syracuse airport. Then we went bike shopping and found this little guy. He is a 2007 Gary Fisher Marlin and as soon as I went around the parking lot, I knew that this was my new winter bike. It just felt right. So I brought him home.
My dad left him on the doorstep and left me in a quandary. Should I put him in the shed or carry him into my apartment? I have been carting my Trek up and down the stairs from the first day I got her. (Incidentally, that is the main reason my fitness has improved over the summer. It’s not the actual biking, although that helps.)
Did my new mountain bike deserve the same treatment as a road bike?
I guess not, because I started to wheel him into the shed. But I couldn’t do it. Instead, I picked him up and carried him up the stairs. He is talking to my Trek right now.
Soon it will be time for a proper test ride.
Bike Like Crazy 
Well done! And, I love the picture with the bike nestled in the fallen leaves 🙂
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Colorful fall leaves make my heart happy and so do new bikes. I am a puddle of happiness right now 😉
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*giggles* As I was reading this my thoughts became torn: “should she take him inside already – she’s only just got him?” … “but he’s going to be so jealous of the Trek getting all the attention… and showers… if he’s left in the shed”
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Haha! In the end it wasn’t a choice, I simply HAD to take him upstairs…I think it was the right thing to do though. I am gonna trust this guy to get me through winter-he deserves a spot alongside the Trek.
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I agree with your judgement 🙂
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Ooh bike shopping. I love bike shopping.
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It is the best kind of shopping ever!
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That’s so exciting! This weekend we were at a race on the Trek headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin and Gary Fisher was actually there. I didn’t get a photo with him, but a friend of mine did. So cool.
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Wow, that’s really neat! (All of it is neat- the race, the race being at Trek HQ and the real live appearance of Gary Fisher.)
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Really? You were thinking of leaving him in a shed. Really? How would you like to be put in a shed after work everyday? Huh, Huh? How would ya?
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You don’t understand, I am not a bad person! I didn’t actually put him in the shed, okay? No one got hurt! Please, please, just don’t take my bike away, I promise I will never think about sheds again!
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Congratulations on your new family member. He would have gotten lonely in the shed. I’m glad you brought him inside.
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Me too 🙂
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Those tires look hard core! I have convinced my husband to let me get rid of 3 pieces of furniture so that there is a spot for my bikes in our apartment instead of the basement laundry room. The only caveat is he refuses to help carry them up & down the 4 flights of stairs.
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They are gigantic tires-they feel so different after riding with road tires all summer.
Four flights of stairs, oh my that must make moving anything a lot of work! Any chance you can just throw the furniture out the window, cause that seems like it would be tons easier 😉
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Wonderful looking little guy. I just checked the specs and besides a minor difference in the biggest rear gear, he is pretty close to my X-Caliber 6. I am quite sure he will serve you well this and many winters to come. By the way when you carry your bikes up & down the stairs, do you carry with the top tube over your should holding the stem with the same hand to steady the front wheel?
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Nope. My stairway is very narrow so the easiest thing is to grab the top tube or seatpost with one hand and the stem with the other hand. It works well for the trip up or down the stairs.
What size tires do you have on your bike? Mine came with huge ones and I am wondering how you bike as much as you do. The bike is wonderfully stable and smooth but the rolling resistance on paved road is ridiculous! The tires are even thicker than the studded tires I am gonna use for the winter, haha.
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New bike days are always exciting! It looks like a great choice Bri. It’ll be a big change from your skinny road tyres but I’m sure Trek will enjoy the rest over the winter – any thoughts on a name for the new mountain bike?
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Nice bike … nice and shiny … at the moment …
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Key words, “at the moment”, poor bike doesn’t know what it is in for!
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