Retail Therapy

I'm not a big shopaholic in general, but sometimes if I'm feeling down, I find that buying myself something can cheer me up. "Buying a little happy," I call it.

The week before last wasn't such a great one, so I went on a few shopping trips. I needed a bunch of stuff for the bike rally, so I decided to visit some bike shops. First I checked out Cycle Solutions, at 444 Parliament St. They're offering a 15% discount to bike rally participants on all merchandise other than bicycles. It's a really great thing for them to do. So here's what I bought:

• an extra pair of Specialized Body Geometry Sport gloves, blue
• 2 spare tubes
• a patch kit
• Pedro's Ice Wax (chain lube)
• a bell that fits in the end of my handlebars
• 2 water bottle cages

I got all that for just $75. The following day I decided to check out Mountain Equipment Co-op after visiting their website and discovering that they have a rather extensive cycling section. Mostly I wanted a waterproof jacket, which I bought. Then I realized that it didn't fold nearly as compact as necessary to be carried in a back pocket or saddle bag, so I exchanged it for a couple other things. In the end, this is what I bought:

• 2 Specialized Big Mouth water bottles
• MEC mechanical chain cleaner and bio-cycle cleaning fluid
• MEC front & rear "Turtle" emergency LED lights
• MEC Wedgie Pro saddle bag, black
• Topeak Peak MasterBlaster DX frame pump
• Topeak Alien DX multi-tool (27 tools in one)

These items totalled about $148. All in all, I'm very pleased with my purchases. I have very few things left that I need for the bike really. That's thanks not only to my shopping, but also to Dave, who bought me some other essential gear for my birthday:

• a new helmet, Giro Eclipse, in red
• a Louis Garneau Clear Choice rain shell
• Sugoi SubZero leg warmers, for those chilly training rides

Though I'm not quite ready, in terms of gear, for the ride itself, I think I'm pretty well prepared for the group training rides, which begin on Saturday, April 8th.