Steel is Real

Ah Ju (Fearless Leader) sees the Peugot road bike still in bika sutra
from finding a way to get two bikes into one bike bag.

"That frame is too big for you. You won't be able to ride it
comfortably."

Ah Jian (the top Shimano certified mechanic in the province) sees the
road bike in half extracted state.

"That frame is too big for you. You won't be able to ride it
comfortably. How much will you sell it to me for?"

I demur that it was a gift and I'm not sure I can sell it at least not
without asking the person who gave it to me. When Jeff threw out the
wheels in pre-wedding clean-up he told Mike that the bike was pretty
unlikely to ever have anything done with it again and to toss it or
whatever. Mike tossed it in my direction.

I'm thinking, despite being old (it's been in Mike's basement for at
least 7 1/2 years), and steel, and needing wheels and needing a
cassette the bike is better than I had previous thought when having
failed to get so much as hint of a price quote from me, Ah Jian tries
to sell me the Shimano race wheels for it. Sure, they are cheaper than
the Mavic race wheels but that isn't saying much.

The Cannondale is up on the stand when Ah Zhi (the bike shop manager)
comes back from lunch. He sees the road bike.

"That frame is too big for you. You won't be able to ride it
comfortably."

He doesn't offer to buy it. I didn't think he would. He just got a
new carbon race bike that would be around $4000 for most of us (being
the manager of the shop I have no idea what he actually paid for it).
He's a weight weenie and serious race geek. This bike is obviously not
the sort of thing he'd want. Obviously.

Bzzzt. WRONG.

He offers to trade me a completely assembled road bike in return for
it. I ask how much of a road bike. He says I tell him what I want and
he'll tell me yes or no. Ah Jian suggests, getting a stern look from
his boss, that I start at the expensive bikes on the second floor and
work my way down until he says yes. Again, I say it was a gift and I
don't think I can do that without at least talking to the person who
gave it to me.

Ah Hua (my favorite mechanic and Chinese little brother) shows up.

"That frame is too big for you. You won't be able to ride it
comfortably."

Xiao Fang (the second highest certified mechanic) comes back from
lunch. He comments favorably on the Cannondale. I tell him I got the
Marzocchi fork (secondhand) because I remembered he rides a Marzocchi.
He tells me that this fork is actually nicer than the one on his bike.
Then, he sees the Peugot.

"That frame is too big for you. You won't be able to ride it
comfortably. How much will you sell it to me for?"

By this point five of the best have seen it and three have offered to
buy it. So, I have a feeling that I won't be doing the retro steel and
downtube shifters thing with a leather saddle.

Speaking of the Brooks, which had been on a nearly unused Bickerton
folding that is one of Mike's new toys, but which was traded for the
saddle on the Peugot on the grounds that I was actually likely to use
it and wanted it pretty please please, most of the people who saw it
were indifferent on the grounds that it was heavy (though looked really
comfortable) except for the bike shop manager. His shameless puppy dog
eyes not only approached but went far above and beyond the levels of
nauseating cuteness I got as a kindergarten teacher when the kids tried
to convince me to give them candy.

It so happens that I want this saddle for myself, and will need to
really think long and hard about letting it go, even if I get a really
good offer. But I might help him get one of his own.

-M