Say hello to a semi-new addition to the condo, the LeMond Poprad (archive link). Over the years I've ridden both BMX and mountain bikes, but never a road bike. But as I fell deeper into the out of shape working world, I thought the only thing that would get me off my fat ass would be a road bike to take me around my old-new neighborhood and the nearby borough of Manhattan, you may have heard of it.

After a month or two searching through Craigslist, I struck gold when I found a listing for the Poprad (decent ratings at Road Bike Review). At $600, it cost more than my Mongoose Solution Pro when it was new, and for a used steel bike too! But after a quick Google search, I saw it retailing for $1,200 and up, decent deal so why not and it was Jake approved.

So one weekend when Terry and I were moving in, we hopped into his car and drove over to the border of Brooklyn and Queens to make the swap. Hell, that was the scariest drive in a while. Bedford-Stuy and Bushwick are no joke. Anyway when I met up with the guy, he had the balls to actually count the money right there in the street. After I got the bike into the car we just peaced for the safety of Clinton Hill.

And so, after two rides into lower Manhattan and yesterday's trek to the George Washington Bridge with Zan (oh the bridge looks close at around 96th Street, but I promise you, it's still far off), I feel like I've finally broken it in. Haven't gotten the hang of waking up early to go riding yet, but I did leave work early enough today to get a ride in. Got home at around 7pm and then rode an hour around Prospect Park. Afterwards I did the stupidest thing by stopping by a McDonald's and raiding their $1 menu. How easy things cancel out.

Okay, so I just need to get my roommates to hop on this road bike wagon. Think Mike's getting a bike from a friend who bought an entire lot off a government auction. Terry might get one off the same person, but I need to make sure he gets on it. Who else wants to ride? We can start our own bike gang, just like the good old days in Livingston.

I just wrote this entry listening to Faith Hill's Fireflies album. Faith Hill and the ghettos of Brooklyn, lovely mix.