I wanted to write a little more today about my new bike. Well, not so much about my new bike, but about the shop where I bought my new bike. Grand Strand Bicycles in Murrells Inlet, SC is owned by Tim and Mary Woolford. Tim has raced bikes forever, and will soon return to racing in March. He has a real passion for cycling and an even greater passion for seeing others become more involved in cycling. He and Mary, and Rich the Wrench, as well as others I have had the joy of meeting and hammering with on shop rides, have been such a great encouragement to me as I seek to become a better rider. Tim shares freely from his wealth of experience and his recent training with Specialized in California and I am privileged to call him my friend. As much as I would like to bless him, I always walk away feeling like I have received something from him, be it encouragement, advice, or instruction on my riding skill or bike repair and maintenance. Here is a shot of him assembling my new bike: 
and here is his shop website: http://www.grandstrandbicycles.com/home.html . If you live on the Grand Strand or vacation there, you should stop in and visit Tim, Mary, and Rich. You'll be better for it! They can help you with your bike, rentals, and rides in the area. Take a good look at the website and you'll see they have several shop rides at different paces and different times of the week. Now that I have got you sold on Grand Strand Bicycles, you need another look at my new bike:
I have enjoyed my old bike, in the last year and a half I have pedaled it nearly 5000 miles, that's right, FIVE THOUSAND MILES! And I am not through with it yet; I'll leave it on my trainer in the garage and continue to use it. But, it is an internet bike and was never fitted to me. That's like buying a pair of jeans without trying them on and then just wearing them, no matter what. Tim fitted the bike to me and made adjustments (meticulously!) to the bike until it fit me. When I went down the road for a test ride, I knew it was MY bike. You won't get that at the Big Box stores (you know who you are). You pay a little more going to a local bike store, but you get so much more for your money. Anyway, enough said about all that. I will never just buy another bike again. I will buy one fitted to me. Now all I need is some halfway decent weather so I can hit the road on my new machine!
Be blessed, be safe.
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