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"What am I doing out of the kitchen?" Words spoken by me to Troubadour on our way out of a bicycle shop in Beaverton last Sunday.
"What am I doing out of the kitchen?" Words spoken by me to Troubadour on our way out of a bicycle shop in Beaverton last Sunday.
As some of you may know from previous posts I have been having issues with my current Novara Madrona mountain bike. I purchased it from REI last October in a medium frame size with 29 inch tires. When riding downhill on the trails I manage to rub my knees on the front tire if I happen to come off the seat a bit on corners. Not good.
After our ride to Siltcoos Lake with PolarBear and family, Troubadour and Polar Bear compared my bike with Troubadour's Trek X-Caliber. What they found was that the crank for the pedals was several inches closer to the front tire on my bike. Not ideal when my legs are longer.
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| (My current Novara Madrona 29er) |
One of the benefits of purchasing a bike from REI is that you have a 1-year satisfaction guarantee. I can return or exchange it within 365 days if I am not happy with it. Skinned knees do not make me happy.
Since that day we have been to three different bicycle shops here in Corvallis. One shop had 2 ladies mountain bikes in small frames; the second shop only had 1 ladies mountain bike in a small frame; the third shop had 2 ladies mountain bikes one in a small frame and one in a medium frame.
We were told repeatedly that they are between model years so stock was low and that they didn't normally carry many women's mountain bikes anyway.
We've also been to a few different REI stores. At one time the store at Bridgeport Village had a Cannondale Tango 6 in a tall. I liked it and it seemed to fit, but it was black with bright pink accents. I am not a fan of bright pink, so we looked some more.
Sunday we decided to head up to REI again. Troubadour has been thinking of some trekking poles for hiking and we were going to look at bicycles once again.
It was nearing lunch time so we went directly to Veggie Grill in Beaverton. An all vegan restaurant chain we hadn't been to for a while. Every time we go I order the same thing though, the Buffalo Bomber sandwich. Troubadour ordered the Bali Bliss sandwich. Yumm. Sorry no pictures, too hungry. You can take a peek at their menu HERE.
On our way to Veggie Grill we passed two bicycle shops that were open on Sundays. We made a mental note to stop by after lunch.
The first one was The Bike Gallery. Now, a name like Bike Gallery should have been our first clue. Many bikes on display, cool funky building, etc. We located the mountain bike section and noticed they only had one ladies hard tail mountain bike on display (Cannondale) and you guessed it, it was not a tall. A salesman came over to see if he could assist us. When Troubadour mentioned we were looking for a ladies hardtail mountain bike in a tall frame with hydraulic disk brakes he immediately told us he didn't have any in stock. He went on to inform us that "Portland isn't big into mountain biking" and "they don't have a big request for women's bikes" and "only 3 out of the last 20 bikes they sold were women's".
He then proceeded to tell us that they were a chain of several stores in the area and we were welcome to go online and check out their stock and what they had in their warehouse and that they could always bring one in from another store or the warehouse for us.
Wait, did he just ask me to do his job for him and look it up online?
Yeah he did.
We shook our heads in disbelief and on the way out the door is when I mentioned to Troubadour, "what the hell am I doing out of the kitchen anyway?"
After being told that women don't really ride mountain bikes and banging my head against the wall in so many stores it was just what came to mind. There are jokes out there where the punchline is "I don't know, but what was she doing out of the kitchen?" Playing on the old joke....
Q: Why are wedding dresses white?
A: So they match the appliances
We stopped at one more bike shop before going to REI and that was Santiam Bicycle. They had one women's mountain bike in stock that was not a tall, but of course they could order something for us. At least the salesman didn't tell us there wasn't a need for women's mountain bikes, just that they were between model years. He did say he could order anything in the catalogue. Well if you could order it, don't you think you might want to keep a few in stock during peak season?
Feeling dejected and dragging my feet, we got back in the car and headed to REI in Bridgeport Village. While they did have one women's Cannondale bicycle in a tall, it was not a mountain bike. A very nice gentleman was assisting us and volunteered to look up the Tango models in their computer to see if they had any in their warehouse, which they could receive rather quickly. He looked and they had several Cannondale Tango 5's in a tall frame with 27.5" tires. I ordered it in Magnesium White/Sparkle Silver. Really? Do you think they call the silver on a men's bike sparkle silver? I checked - men get Gloss White and Berzerker Green. Sigh. We get sparkly and they get to go berserk? Double sigh.
Why did I decide to just order it? Well, I was tired of looking. I was tired of being told women don't ride mountain bikes. I was tired of being told they were between model years. I was tired of people telling me they could order it. I was tired of driving from store to store trying to shop not only local, but just in the same damn state. Frankly, I'd had about enough. I don't usually enjoy shopping to begin with and this was just frustrating.
If it comes in and I don't like it for whatever reason, I don't have to take it and we can return my current Novara at the same time. Not only do I have this guarantee from REI, but the price was less than MSRP, and we get 10% back in dividends. Not too bad.
WE received an email yesterday morning that the bike is already at the store and assembled. Now to take the grips and aftermarket seat off the Novara and return it to stock. We'll pick up the new bike tomorrow (I managed to score the day off since the boss is heading out on the ocean fishing).
We are also thinking of what trails we might be able to ride in that area since we've not been up there with the bicycles before. Henry Hagg Lake Trail looks interesting. LINK
Then on Sunday we head to Coos Bay to visit family for the day. It is about a 2 hour ride/drive. As long as we don't have too much to take with us (food stuff and toys for the nephew) we'll ride down on the motorcycles. Fingers crossed.
Stay tuned for an update next week.
- Au Revoir
"Beware the fury of a patient man." - John Dryden, Absolam and Achitophel (1680)
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If it comes in and I don't like it for whatever reason, I don't have to take it and we can return my current Novara at the same time. Not only do I have this guarantee from REI, but the price was less than MSRP, and we get 10% back in dividends. Not too bad.
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| (Cannondale Tango 5 - photo from Cannondale website) |
We are also thinking of what trails we might be able to ride in that area since we've not been up there with the bicycles before. Henry Hagg Lake Trail looks interesting. LINK
Then on Sunday we head to Coos Bay to visit family for the day. It is about a 2 hour ride/drive. As long as we don't have too much to take with us (food stuff and toys for the nephew) we'll ride down on the motorcycles. Fingers crossed.
Stay tuned for an update next week.
- Au Revoir
"Beware the fury of a patient man." - John Dryden, Absolam and Achitophel (1680)
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i didnt even know there were mens/ladies bikes
ReplyDeleteobvious i dont ride a push bike
now i will not comment on the title of the thread as i can get into enough trouble here by doing such a thing
and a Magnesium White/Sparkle Silver
that shall show the dirt-mud up on the rides
have fun when you get it
The cross bar comes down further on a women's bike. From back in the day when women wore dresses all the time, they could still ride a bike and keep their dignity.
DeleteWe've heard that women's specific mountain bikes have different geometry. Bars are a little closer and women typically have a shorter torso and longer legs compared to a man's longer torso and shorter legs.
I also went with a 27.5 inch tire this time to give me extra room for the long legs.
The white will show the dirt/mud a bit. Which reminds me I need to clean the Novara before we return it.
So, Trobairitz, when you do "go back into the kitchen", will you be making Brad a sandwich?
ReplyDeleteme: running and ducking....
Hardee har. Don't worry Dom, I have a great sense of humor, no need to duck.
DeleteAnd for the record I've been making his sammiches for 21 years now. :-)
"A: So they match the appliances"
ReplyDeleteSo what is the color now to match stainless?
Even the number mentioned 3/20 is still a significant enough number. I would've thought that that was a significant enough market to carry inventory. I've heard that there are some bicycle shops that cater to women and I thought that there was one in Portland...
That is why it is an old joke, which is funny because in doe decades appliances were brown or avocado and even harvest gold.
Delete3/20 is still 15% of sales. I didn't know there was a shop that catered to women riders in Portland. Of course without a Google machine (I mean smart phone) we couldn't look anything up on the fly.
Still a relevant joke apparently - now wedding dresses (and bicycles) come in sparkle silver :D
DeleteHa, good one Karen.
DeleteYou'd be in bicycle paradise in our neck of the woods. We have about 12 bike shops in the vicinity, 2 of those I can reach by walking less than a mile. I am shopping for a mountain bike myself (Roland just bought his), and I will pick mine up when back from my Canada trip. And there are lady bikes galore... about 1/3 of the stock bikes are for female riders. However, I like the male frame better, and the bikes often come in much cooler colours ;-)
ReplyDeleteWith as many bike shops as there are around here, you'd think we'd be in bicycle paradise. Of course with 12 locally you really have a choice. They seem to have a lot of the Townie bikes and cruiser style for ladies locally, just not mountain bikes. I guess we're all supposed to be running errands and buying groceries with them, not running up and down the side of a mountain.
DeleteCall me old fashioned but 26inch is the standard mountain bike wheel size even for XL frames?
ReplyDeleteThat is the size of tires my last one had that I bought in the late 90's. Then came 29 inch tires as the latest and greatest, and now 27.5 inch is supposed to be the best of both worlds.
DeleteBrandy, that is so frustrating! With your long legs you might have been ok on a mens mtb with some tweeking of the stem and seat. Also, Giant do the Liv' range of womens mtbs. I am just looking at them and other womens bikes for my cook and having the same troubles. A Trek EX7 with a different stem and seat are looking good. 27.5 wheels might be just the right compromise too.
ReplyDeleteTypically I'd only ever had mens bikes and was fine with them. Locally I went into a shop looking for a Giant mens bike that hubby saw online and thought would be good for me. The salesman told me " You know they make women's specific bikes don't you?" And tried to sell me a women's bike they didn't have in my size. It has been frustrating.
DeleteWe are hoping that with a larger frame (where the seat isn't maxed out at height) and 27.5 inch ties there will be more room for the legs. If it doesn't work we'll return it and I'll try the men's bikes again.
Some manufacturers don't make 29 inch bikes well at all. The geometry is all messed up and you get issues like you have with toe overlap. Trek bought out Gary Fisher (who basically invented 29ers) so theirs are better than most but Cannondale do good 29ers as well. Giant 29er aren't as good but their 27.5 are fine.
DeleteAs for the sales people, like anything, if they get a sniff that you might not be full bottle on the subject, they just try to flog you any old thing. One thing I would suggest is to spend as much as you can afford. You get a much better bike as you go up the range and that translates to much better handling and shifting. The fork can make a huge difference to the handling and weight of the bike.
Good luck!
What was odd with the salespeople is that we were walking buyers with money to burn. The Cannondale is a more expense bike and so far it is a good fit.
DeleteStopped on the way home today and hit a couple of trails, adjusted the seat etc. We may raise the stem a bit too. Didn't hit my knee once on the tire, woot!
I am looking forward to pictures of you riding a mountain bike in a dress all while maintaining your dignity.
ReplyDeleteAll while making a sandwich? Ha ha.
DeleteIf the skirt was long enough I could do it, but me thinks it would get caught in the chain, I'll fall over and there goes my dignity.
Well, Bike Gallery's business plan certainly is unorthodox--you can give them that:
ReplyDelete"Hey, guys, Portland isn't big into mountain biking, so let's have a bike shop there, do our damnedest to alienate half of the population, and then encourage our walk-ins to shop and buy elsewhere... Eh? Eh?"
"Brilliant!"
Well said Ry!!
DeleteI love your wit! I confess to having never heard this punchline before, but so apropos your situation that day. Good riding with the new wheels. that 15% seems to parallel the percent of female motorcycle riders. I'm surprised it's so low for mountain bikes in your part of the country, though.
ReplyDeleteThanks Barb. Maybe it was an old joke north of the 49th parallel. I remember hearing it growing up.
DeleteWe have a lot of mountain bike riders in our area and a lot of trails, but the Portland area is against bicycles sullying their hiking trails apparently.
I had the same trouble with motorcycle gear. I bought men's medium length Rev'it pants as the salesman said they'd be long enough. I was hesitant, but tried them. After one ride he let me exchange them for a long length, but I still had to buy men's pants as ladies don't have long legs you know......
I hope the new bike will be a better fit.
ReplyDeleteIt's all too common that sales people don't want to do their job. When we were looking for a freezer at the local small town Sears store the sales person, and I use "sales person" jokingly... Anyway, I was told to go home and search the Sears web site for which ever freezer I wanted, and they'd order it in for me. As he's saying this I'm looking at the stores computer open to appliances... I guess it was too much work for him to sit down and show me a few. Maybe his phone/social media was interfering with his work ethic..
Oh, and I always heard that brides dresses are white so the dishwasher matched the stove..... LOL .... and that's why the cabinets have the toe space underneath them... so the dishwasher is closer to the sink....(ducking)(all in good humor)
Ha, dishwasher matches the stove, that is a good one too.
DeletePretty sad that Sears had their website up and still couldn't do their job.
Soooo.…
ReplyDeleteStill waiting for a response....
Response to what color matches stainless? Karen answered it, sparkly silver, lol.
Delete"What am I doing out of the kitchen"
DeleteOh, I thought I answered that in the body of the post. Trying to buy a damn mountain bike tall enough. :-) Or do you mean philosophically?
DeleteWhat sort of samich will you make me?
ReplyDeleteKnuckle sammich? Kidding. Peanut Butter and jelly, they pack well for motorcycle rides. :-)
DeleteHmmm seems to me the bicycle world and motorcycle world are closely related when it comes to bike fitment and colour choices. I think i would have asked the salesmen who suggested that not a lot of women ride mountain bikes, would have told him to go for a walk near bike trails.
ReplyDeleteI am the silent customer. I don't bitch them out or anything, not going to change their minds and isn't worth my time, just take my business elsewhere.
DeleteI think I knew that there were different bikes for the sexes but never would have dreamed that knees and wheels could interfere with each other.....easy to imagine now that you mention it. Good luck with the new ride and an end to your shopping!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't have dreamed it either Doug, but if someone can be clumsy enough to do it, it would be me..... all arms and legs.
DeleteTried out the bike on the way home - post to come. Working fine so far. We rode 4 different trails and I didn't hit my knee once.