Check out that old bike docufilm i posted. They actually did it once upon a time! :D

- Andy

The fenders on my Gazelle were in perfect alignment when I pulled it out of the box.

sure...but those fenders weigh 1/10th the weight of my road bike.

Yeah it's not a conversation that's come up and been skirted around. I've gotten the I told you not to ride down that road a few times. I've not shown any idea that I'd give it up. But it will certainly be something that will be entered one cog's tooth at a time; I'm nowhere near being medically ready my ankles and left knee need a lot of range of motion work. It's also not something I'm likely to give up, just make adaptations. Thanks for the support.

I completely understand a families hesitation after something like this, and I'd be the same way. But like you said there is going to be a lot of anxiety on both sides. I've yet to even see my bike and I expect that to be a huge shock to me and it will impact how I'll do when I return.

My mother and older sister just arrived from central NY today, neither has been out yet. My mother had a disturbing epiphany on her bus ride to the hospital. She saw a dump truck trailer and realized it's not just a trailer for towing lawnmowers behind the landscape truck. It's almost a second full size dump bucket on a trailer. We don't have then from what I recall back east. I actually remember first seeing one visiting my brother in Seattle. So my mom has only seen photos of my injuries and I'm scared of how she'll react tomorrow when she sees it without compression bandages that I wear when I'm up. I now realize that I don't think she understood the gravity of my accident. How close I was to losing my leg, and my life.

Anywho. I had to ride my old Schwinn with 26ers a few times to work over a 14+ mile route. I saw a negligible time difference, if even any, for those rides when compared to my 700c commuters. So I don't think it will make a huge difference speed wise. Weight is the big game changer between my late LHT and my Turbo, 33 vs 19 pound, my average over 7 miles increased by about 3 km/h. I think another bike for: comparisons sake and to change it up and to fit another need is perfectly acceptable. N+1.

Yeah, way back in the day when bike were hand fabricated, and I am sure if you are buying a bike that cost enough $$$ it might come that way, though my experiences have been that when bikes ship the shop has to put one or both fenders on, and if they are metal they have gotten slightly bent between being packaged, shipped and delivered.
[MENTION=365305]kickstart[/MENTION] - that's cool. I can't say I have ever seen a Gazelle in person. Are your fenders metal or plastic?

Steel, as is the rest of the bike, all 50 lbs of it as spare wheel pointed out.
I don't have a bike under 35 lbs.

:thumb:

Wow. Reminds me of that whole mentality racing drivers & fighters pilots have, you just can't think about "what if". You have to focus on the present situation and take the obvious precautions, especially till you regain your bearings. Once i got my cycling feet back under me and my cycling head back on my shoulders i actually raced my sister in her car (25 mph speed limit) with me on my uptown. Felt damn good to "be back". I hope the same happens for you, and that you have many happy and safe years of riding ahead. :)

The only real issue these days with ASI brands is possible shipping damage, which can happen to anything in transit. Thankfully they are relatively nearby so any issues with a new bike are less of a show stopper. As i've said before, their customer service is amazing.

- Andy