The Tale of Two Bikes (...or three, or four, or five...)

The Beginning
In the beginning, Will and Melanie bought two hybrid bikes to leisurely ride around town **together**.  Trek hybrid's did the trick and looked a little something like this:

Trek Bontrager Hybrid

After a few freezing cold bike rides in Lincoln, Melanie decided that bike riding should be enjoyable, so she 'hung up her shoes' for the winter.  Meanwhile, Will signed up for a triathlon class at the local YMCA.  Ten minutes later, he officially became an addict.

In short, the leisurely rides that the young couple was to enjoy together came to an abrupt end. 

The Middle
In the spring of 2007 in Norfolk, Nebraska Will participated in his first sprint triathlon (and also got his first pair of spandex shorts... little did we know that he would prefer spandex to real clothes!).


First triathlon and spandex experience

After a few races, Will gets a Trek Madone road bike for his birthday and the races get longer and more intense.  Melanie continues to be the supportive wife, spectator, and runner.



Prairie Man



Athens Triathlon: With Trek Madone



Texas Man - happy in spandex and neoprene

Texas Man pre-swim

Melanie's First Triathlon - on the Trek Hybrid

Will's second 70.3 - Redman Triathlon

Nowhere Near the End
On a recent trip to Plano Cycling to get a spare tire for Will's bike trainer, somehow we ended up walking out with these beauties:

Kuota K Factor TT Bike

It went a little something like this:

Will: Look Melanie, two Kuota tri-bikes on sale, carbon and exactly what I need for my race in June.  And they are on sale!  Only two left and they happen to be our size.

Melanie: Fine, I guess we could at least try them out and take a quick test-ride, but we AREN'T BUYING ANY MORE BIKES.

Will: I know, I know, but it won't hurt to take a test ride to see if they fit.

Melanie: Fine.

Ten minutes later, we are at the checkout. Ask me how these things happen...



And the fourth bike in 3 years (I failed to mention that he got a Trek mountain bike, too)

Melanie's first "real" bike

 

Happy on the new TT


In closing, I will say that I'm very glad that we got TT bikes, we have actually ridden them together (since I can kind-of keep up with Will) and I'm actually thinking of signing up for another race. Oh, and I have a beautiful blue Trek Hybrid for sale if anyone is interested.

Lance, it's all about the bike!