The Search for a Tri-Bike

Since my bike got stolen (prior post) I needed to quickly find a new bike because Barb's Race Half Ironman was quickly approaching and I needed to continue my training.

I debated between a road bike and a tri bike, and decided to go with the a tri bike. When I did my last half ironman, my hamstrings were really tired, so I hope to avoid that feeling with a tri bike.

Now finding a size was difficult. I'm 5'2 and petite. Its hard to find a bike small enough to fit me, and with a top tube short enough for my torso. Also I want to get a good deal on a bike too. Of course you can spend $$$$ on a bike, but I decided my limit was $2000-$3000. Closer to $2000 would be best.

I visited a few triathlon stores to get fitted for a bike. I didn't know how a tri bike should feel and it was my first time riding one.
I tried a QintanaRoo, Fuji, Cervelo, and Felt.

It took a couple weeks of searching and researching. Also it was hard to take the time out to drive to stores to try the bikes out.

My local bike store had a GREAT deal on a Cervelo P2 and P3. They looked so pretty, but the smallest size would not fit me.

My last stop was at Triathlon Lab where I saw a good deal on a Felt B16W. I really needed to find a women specific bike because those were the ones small enough to fit me. The workers at TriLab were so helpful, and they set up 3 different bikes for me to try out so I could feel the difference. They didn't force me to get the expensive bike, because I was really drawn to the Cervelo. They recommended the B16 because it fit me really well.

after a few test rides, I fell in love with my Felt B16W. It was comfortable and a great deal! I ended up getting it for $1700 a full carbon and full ultgera bike.

Here's a picture of my new 'Mint-Chip' (its light green and black, but it looks blue in the pictures)

Special Thanks to State Farm for making this happen.

My Bikes Got Stolen

Over MLK weekend, my garage was broken into and my 2 bikes were stolen.

Here's an homage to 'Little Red' - my 2010 Fuji XS SL Comp 1. 

My second bike was a 2009 Trek WSD FX 7.5 - that wasn't ridden very much, so all I have is stock photo. 

I'm writing this post to let other's know how the whole process goes in case this happens to someone else and they need some solace. 

Once we got home and realized the bikes were stolen (along with other stuff in the garage) we called the "non-emergency" police line. 

About 30 mins an officer arrived and gave us some forms to fill out to file a police report. He said there's pretty much nothing they can do, and usually the stolen stuff never turns up. 

I went to bed feeling very sad, thinking why did this happen.

The next day, I called my homeowners insurance to get an idea of what can be covered. My Statefarm agent said they wouldn't be able to provide much details. I would need to file an "inquiry claim" to see if its worth filing a claim. 

After talking to a claims agent, who was very helpful, he said, that State Farm would cover the amount to replace the objects minus the depreciation. So for example, to replace and purchase my Fuji SL Comp today, the retail price is $2300. State Farm believes a lifespan of a bike is 10 years, since I had the bike for 2 years, they took off 20% for depreciation. So $2300 - 20% ($460) = $1840 + tax back to me.

Not bad since I bought the bike on sale for $1800. So I got the full value that I paid for it. 

State Farm knows you don't keep receipts for everything, but for the larger priced items, if you did have a receipt it would be helpful. Luckily I did have my receipts for my bikes, but they were ok if I didn't have receipts for other things, like my pedals, bike computer, etc. 

The insurance process was very fast. After I submitted the paper work, I got a check within days. The process was over in a week. 

I also notified local bike stores and scoured craigslist and ebay to see if my bike was posted. I even made flyers to post, but after I got my $ back, the flame to search for my bikes died down. 

It would be nice to find my road bike so I don't have to go through the process of getting another one which is a PAIN.

If you rent, you can get renters insurance. It covers the same things as home owners insurance (in case your bikes or possessions gets stolen) 

Get insurance! better safe than sorry :)

and here's a note for the thief: 

Charity Miles - Run/Walk/Bike and Save the World

If you have a smart phone Download this free app - Charity Miles. 

Its awesome.

For every mile you walk or run, it will donate $0.25, and $0.10 for every mile you bike. And that's just for doing your Normal workout!
This app doesn't interfere with your other training apps, you can use MapMyRun or Nike+ or other apps at the same time.

Workout and Save the World!!

Stress and Snacking

I know everyone talks about stress, depression or any unhappy feelings leads to overeating, but I never "really" understood it until it happened to me. I always thought it was a lack of willpower on the person, but its much more complicated than that.

Now I wasn't going through anything traumatic, but I had was having a tough day at work and an overall stressful day. Suddenly deadlines, fire-drills, urgent projects, and my dog wasn't helping being mischievous every other minute.

I felt at my wits end. And all I wanted to do was eat. I felt hungry, even though I just ate, so I snacked and snacked and snacked.

Near the end of the day, I had an out of body experience where I mentally stepped away from myself and realized what I was doing.

My day wasn't going in a positive direction.. but what 'was' positive? The candy bowl in front of me, the chips and pretzels, etc. It was something I was "doing" that was "right". It gave me continuous "positive" reinforcement. I wanted more and more to fill the void of my crappy work day.

I now understand how a person can get lost in that. Luckily tomorrow, will be a better day, and all my deadlines will hopefully be gone, and I will need to workout to burn off all the candy I ate. :)