27 April 2013

A Semi-Sweet Goodbye

I have some rather sad news to report.

No, I didn't crash or get diagnosed with some terrible disease.  Rather, it's about something I did somewhat reluctantly.




You see, I sold the Schwinn Collegiate I'd mentioned in a few previous posts.  I actually liked it quite a bit:  While it was heavy and didn't have the nimblest handling (Then again, I can say those things about myself!), it was surprisingly quick when I got it up to speed.  Plus, it did have a certain charm, some of which had to do with the color.

But it was too small for me.  Perhaps I could have gotten a longer seatpost and stem for it, but either one, I felt, would have turned it into a Frankenbike:  Bikes like the Collegiate simply aren't meant to have, and don't look right, with them.

At least the young woman who bought it from me was truly happy to find it.  She lives in Williamsburg and, she told me, another bike "just like" it was stolen from her.  Actually, she said, it was a Collegiate "from around the same time", in a different color.

As she is about 5'5" (about 165 cm), the bike is just the right size for her.  When she test rode it, she looked very comfortable and confident on it.  Plus, she was wearing a sort of "Mad Men" outfit, which somehow looked right.

She was so happy to find the bike that she didn't quibble about the price.  Even if she had, I would been satisfied with selling it to her, as I knew the bike was going "to a good home". That, at least, balances some of the sadness I felt about letting it go.

4 comments:

  1. Don't be sad, be happy you got to care for the bike until its proper owner could pick it up.

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    1. Betty, Thank you for the thought. I am glad for the time I had the bike. If I do say so myself, it was in good hands until its proper owner came along. And it was nice to see that she was so happy to find it.

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  2. Yes Justine you have sold your beloved Schwinn Collegiate to another cyclist and now it will be their journey with the Schwinn.
    Hopefully the new owner has learnt from having her last bicycle stolen and step up the security measures.

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  3. Andy--Thank you for your thoughts. If the new owner is reading this, I'm sure she'll appreciate it, too.

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