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took my first test drives today on bikes. wasnt planned but i was walking home and i just decided to pop my head in to the bike shop where ive got the last two that ive bought. had no intention of taking anything out for a spin but the sales girl was helpful and patient so i eventually took one out, then a second, a third and a fourth. one of the treks i tried had a slightly upscale model, the difference being that the tires where "puncture resistant." they had some sort of kevlar lining. in my head i weighed the potential advances versus the $100 upfront cost. we all know how this is gonna end, right? no way im gonna go for that even if down the road theres a chance it could all even out.
so the last bike i try is the cheapest at $400. its some specialized model with offroad tires that she says is popular with teenage boys. that wasnt a selling point. she was just throwing it out there. i take it out for the heavily traffic .9 miles suggested route through soho and as i turn the final corner headed for the store i feel what i think is a rock in the treads. turns out to be a screw thats well buried into the meat of the tire. i couldnt unscrew it with my hand at least not without considerable effort.
the girl was nowhere to be found upon my return and i eventually retrieved my credit card after waiting about five minutes. i debated whether to mention the screw to anyone else there but i was tired and had no intention of paying for the damage should it come to that. when i had waited long enough i decided to go, only to run into her outside. she had been at their other storefront in the next building over. i walked back in as she had printed up a list of the bikes i had tried at which point i showed her the insolent screw. she thanked me for the heads up and i left feeling..... hungry before recalling the irony of the kevlar tires i would still likely not purchase.