Smoothie104

I'm at Dinner last weekend with a buddy of mine, he's a good friend, we see each other pretty much every sunday for football and beer etc.. He's done some work for our cycling team website, but thats about the extent of his interest in the sport. All thought I do know he was watching the TdF a bit.

So over dinner, and while kinda drunk he says "how much for a decent road bike... I want to start riding bikes....." now, I've heard and seen all this before, and it usually doesnt amount to much. So I explain that after a certain price point, they are all pretty much the same, and its up to him to get the motor in top shape etc... I tell him about a couple of mutual friends we have who kinda tried it, but didnt like it, or stay with it. and that was about it.

But then this morning, online he pops up and has a couple of bike questions. I say "lets just go to the shop, when do you want to go" and he replies "now, lol" so I type "come pick me up"

To make a long story short, today we walked out of my favorite LBS with a Medium 2006 Giant TCR composite, a pair of sidi's, bell helmet, bottles and cages, plus a good fit session for $1555.85 out the door. tax included. (not bad eh?)

Not to shabby, I hope he sticks with it. We are riding together in about 45 min. I can't wait to drop his ass and humiliate him.. Put this sport in perspective nice and early.

Just kidding, hopefully he will love the sport as much as I do, its nice to see this all play out. And to be a part of it. He already has the mindset that its a brutally hard sport, so thats refreshing. We just going to have fun riding our bikes, and then we will see what he wants to do after a couple of months of that.

thats all...

Hipcycler

You know Smoothie, a real elitist jackass would have dropped that whole, "Just kidding" part...

Smoothie104

Yeah, no one knows what a real sweetheart i really am....

botto 

man, you hooked your homey up.

i've got a friend (who's also a drinking buddy that i watch football -aka soccer-with) who's become a fan of cycling, and keeps talking about riding. don't think it'll ever happen.

ravenmore

kewl - sweet deal on the bike too.

RoadToad

We're going to have to change your name from Smoothie to Softy!

Smoothie104

Yeah, its a nice bike too, I don't really shop for them or look at bikes too often. I ride whatever the team gets a deal on etc...

But it appears to be the same frame they use on the TCR01, which is like 3000.00 or so. It's faily ass end heavy with a big chrome plated cluster in the back, but over all its quite a nice set up.

Hope he doesnt stack it up too soon!

voltman

Wow! Which level TCR Comp was that?

Patriot

Drop him only once on the first ride together. On a good climb is all it takes to let him know he needs to work on the engine, but not enough to ruin his attitude. You don't want him to get too discouraged. Someone once did that to me when I first started. Although, I doubt he could do it so easily again. Other than that, have a blast!! And, good job in getting friend a pretty good deal.

GuitarWizard

LMAO

ronjon10

hahaha, I wonder how many of us have friends who 'say their interested'. I've got an trek road bike I'm willing to lend to my friend because he keeps saying he wants to ride, the only stipulation is that he needs to come get it. He won't do it, but he keeps talking about it. Cracks me up every time....

DrPete 

It's always cool when you can get a friend into something... Especially when you can take them out for rides and make them hurt real bad.

Congrats--I hope it leads to many miles of good company!

cyclezealot

He gets some good training in, maybe he will even end up on your race team?

kmart

Lol, from my experience, hardcore drinking buddies don't make very good cycling buddies. Wheezing and whining after 5 miles at 20mph...

sverrefehn

Awesome! It's a good feeling when your friends who once thought you were crazy decide that cycling is pretty cool after all. Some friends of mine recently got into cycling in a big way. One was kind of coming back after a loooong time away but the other was new to the sport. They decided they wanted to do a century and asked me to help with their training and preparation. 6 weeks later we did a century + some. It was slow, but they did it. And they want more. That's the best part. I think the one guy who's totally new to it might even try a race next year.

fryth

These are the ones that kill me. I've got a buddy who has dropped nearly $2k on cycling so far, but I doubt if he has 500 miles in the 2 years since he got his first bike.

Scorer75

Nice guy my ass, you got him to buy the bike YOU really want so in 3 months when he gives up you can buy it for $700.

Seriously, good for you and betterfor him. I wish some of the guys who bought bikes because of me took it more seriously. Good job.

Smoothie104

Well, we just rode like 10 miles around his neighborhood, at about 15-17mph, good roads, little traffic..

It has been a long time since I rode with a total noob. I remember having a tough time with the clipless say... 18 years ago. hahahaha! so that was fun to watch. Explaining the shifters was fun too.

I let him set the pace, he was impressed with the speed compared to the mtn bike he has. Other than his feet cramping on him and his sore 'taint. I'd say it was a sucessful first ride. We'll log a few more miles over the weekend. He's getting into it at the right time, as the groups here are slower in the winter. We need to get him some fitness soon though, I can't take that 16mph stuff for too long.

He even wore his lid, which his wife made him, plus he has 2 kids so he said he didn't care about looking dorky. I wore a ball cap, as I often do. I guess I could have lead by example, our next ride will be at the Army Base, so I have no choice there.

tenpas

Wouldn't a real friend have introduced him to the Bike Forums? Wait til he finds this place and sees what you are writing about him - then he will have some incentive to drop YOU!

Then again, since you are in Georgia, the good biking weather is just starting and he won't find this place until the weather gets to be dead of winter up here, or back to your heat of summer.....

root11

bottoms up to you smoothie. Good thing you are doing!

Root

smoke

yeah, kudos to you, smoothie. ya never know when something you do influences the rest of someone's life. speaking of influencing someone's life - ya wanna come up here and shoot my ex?

smoke

Ostuni

what fun to be present at the birth of a new cyclist....

jkman82

I am building my best friend up a bike. He wanted a bike ever since he came to a race. So he bought a frame and Im giving him all the parts he needs. I remember bringing him out on a ride, he borrowed a bike and told me to not slow up for him becuase he could keep up. Well I dropped em for a good ways out and waited up for him at the top of a nice climb, he soon realized what cycling is all about. Good to hear about your friend and hope he keeps up with his riding

smoore

Smoothie104,
You have got to buy your friend a copy of Mike Magnuson's book, Heft on Wheels. Better yet, read it yourself and then give it to him. Funny, inspirational and a great read.

Steve

simplyred

Now the real fun stuff happens when you try riding drunk

Good on ya for bringing another into the international peleton...

-simplyred