Hey again! We took a ride down to the the only other feasibly-nearby bike store today (50 miles). I called beforehand and asked them if they would let me trade in my Wahoo (emphasis that I stated the model and everything...) They said they'd have to look at the bike, and of course when I got there they just slapped me in the face by saying that they don't want or stock Wahoo's because of the fork and something or other having problems. It was for the better, though, since I don't think getting another bike right this moment is the best choice. If and when I do sell this bike, I want to be 100% sure of what I get next.

It wasn't a waste of a long, humid day in the car, though! We had them swap out my tires for thinner ones, with a nice slick center and just a bit of treading on the sides. I've now just landed from my longest ride BY FAR, and also my most enjoyable ride... Funnily enough, it's also the first time I HAVEN'T limped back down to the house from the garage feeling like I'd be worn for days. At first the ride didn't seem all that different, I actually started to get a little disheartened because it was less smooth due to the higher pressure in the tires, but before I knew it I had passed the farthest point I've ridden to and I hadn't even stopped to rest, or felt the need to yet. I ended up going about twice that distance (About 2.5 miles I'm guessing) and then looping back home. I even managed to conquer one of the two really steep hills somehow. Speaking of hills, I laugh at the fact that I used to think the bike was fast on the downhills before.

The back tire did spin a bit when I tried starting uphill in some loose gravel as a little experiment, but it felt fine in every situation I'll actually be encountering. Even when the tire DID spin, I had no trouble staying on the bike and going.

I may yet try and put an ad up to sell the bike and see if I can get a decent price for it- I realized after some digging around in the attic and garage that I have some other "assets" lying around that could be liquidated for the purpose of funding a nicer bike.

I'm concluding that the tires definitely were ruining my newbie cyclist experience more than anything else. There are still a few other things about the bike to pick at (IE- it's a MTB and I should have a road bike or hybrid/cross bike ), but I think I'm happy to set my foot in the door to cycling on this bike now- I don't feel like the bike is weighing me down.