Kick the Tires

Given that I’ve ridden the same bike for fifty-plus years, getting a new one was no easy matter, but, finally, I settled on the Buick. Allow me to explain. Once upon a time, back when Schwinn ruled the world, it offered bikes much like General Motors did cars. As an eighteen-year old, I settled on a Varsity, which was pretty much a Chevy. I was a kid, what did I know? Fast forward to nearly two years ago on the Lakefront Trail. Someone marveled that I could keep up with him riding a tank. That hurt, so I decided to take the plunge on a “new” bike. It had to be a Schwinn, a real Schwinn. If you’re from these parts and happen to be of a certain age, you get what I mean. One up from the Varsity was the Continental, and one up from that the Super Sport. Think Pontiac and Oldsmobile in whatever order you want to put them. Top of the line was—and is, because they still make them in Waterford, WI—is the Paramount, as in Cadillac. I settled on a Sports Tourer, or Buick by any other name. Two years of looking, and I stumbled upon one on craigslist, Pittsburgh, that is. Great price for a bike in close to perfect shape and a whole year younger than the Varsity. It arrived Saturday, went to my Schwinn dealer yesterday and was ready for pickup today. My God. I can curl the ST with one hand. I’ve just spent the afternoon finding a Schwinn-approved rear rack and touchup paint from a Schwinn-ophile online. The hope is that the first warm day in March I can take my new-old bike out for a spin. Fingers crossed.