First New One in 10 Years.......

This is the first new bike I have bought since my last in 2001. It was September 10th, 2001 at REI in Atlanta. I guess I will always remember that date and where I was when I bought that K2. I was also single at the time and buying a full-suspension mountain bike was a big deal for me at the time. Here it is-

Now, I've only had my new bike for a few weeks and I have no idea what the date was when I bought it. I only remember that although the new bike is far superior to the old bike, I did pay more for the old one. Here's the new one-

The new bike is a 29er made by Specialized and I've enjoyed it so far. I've been hitting the new trails out at Chehaw (https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B-6R9nyCAymWMzJlNGFkMGQtN2U1Yy00MDhkLWIzMzMtNmQzMDBkN2FmNDVj&hl=en&pli=1). I'm not sure whether its the new bike or the excitement that comes with owning a new bike but I feel like this bike handles the trail much better than the old.

This bike cost about the same as the old even though there are 10 years separating them. I did get lucky and sell the old bike on Craigslist for $90. I was pleasantly surprised that it sold quickly or at all. That helped ease the tension on cost with my wife although I did pay for this one with cash from Christmas and birthday and not on the credit card as I'm sure I did with the old.

I guess this whole situation and the main reason for this long story is that I'm amazed at what has changed in 10 years and I'm not just talking about bikes and bike technology. I'm very much a different person from that September day in Buckhead. I'm now married with 2 kids, a steady career, and an appreciation for the money it takes to buy a new toy and the physical ability to ride it.