The Evils of Choice

Ah, indecision.

Buying my first bike was no issue. I just needed something with wheels for getting around town. It could be a mountain bike, a roadie, or a laid-back cruiser - I didn't care so long as it had a basket on it somewhere. And it could be made out of anything: steel, aluminum, I didn't know the difference at that point. I just wanted something that wouldn't be too rickety. (I failed in the last department, but my bike does have rear baskets).

Now that I need a bike that I can depend on, though, I feel an unprecedented pressure to "get it right". Bikes can be as complicated as you make them, I'm learning, and if you want to care about your bike right down to the spokes-and-nipples, you can. This is a new and confusing world for me, the craigslist shopper. I paid $100 for my first bike (way too much). For my second bike, my spending is going to go up exponentially: I'm looking at $1000 bikes, now. I can only hope there will not be a third bike... what does $10,000 look like, anyway?

It's not just the components that are making me stall and ponder. I'm one of those indecisive folks, often mislabeled as "picky". Actually, last week I realized that my type of cyclist has already been categorized: I'm the "Righteous Cyclist", described in the sassy pages of the book "Bike Snob". Riders like me believe that cycling not only makes us more healthy, beautiful, and sexually voracious, but that it also changes the world. Unlike cyclists who focus on components and mileage and fitness, we worry about impact.

If I buy a bike made in China, does that mean I support slave-labor, or a developing country's industry?

If I get a new bike, am I supporting cycling or consumerism?

If I get a "vintage" used bike, am I sticking to my morals about Reuse & Reduce, or am I setting myself up for disappointment and disaster on the road ahead?

After 4 months of wringing my hands over questions like these, I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and accept some simple truths:

1. I need a bike - pronto!

2. I need a bike that I can trust.

3. Every purchase has an impact... both good and bad. At the very least, my $1000 will say "yes to biking!"

In light of this, I'm considering dropping some serious (in my mind) money on a brand new bike, rather than a used craigslister. My requirements? All steel, designed for touring, and made in the USA. The Surly LHT and Trek 520 are neck-and-neck right now, and the indecision continues...