It’s been wayyyy too long. Let’s talk about one of my favorite things: BIKES.

If my surgery on my knee and rehab both go well then I’m planning on getting a new mountain bike this summer. This isn’t a new plan but I haven’t mentioned it here because of everything going on with my knee. I guess I still don’t know what will 100% happen after my surgery but I’m trying to be optimistic. So woooooooooo bikes!!!

Yep, just call me the crazy bike lady.

On Sunday when I went out on a ride, I was actually test riding a bike.

I knew almost immediately after getting my road bike over the summer that I had officially turned into bike person and was going to want to upgrade my mountain bike the following summer. That is the best time to get a great deal on bikes because the older models are being cleared out to make room for following year’s bikes. Some stores have bikes marked 50% off. Yeahhhhhhhh. Obviously I wasn’t anticipating this nagging knee injury, though.

My current mountain bike is a Trek Skye S that I purchased shortly after moving to Charlotte a few years ago. It has been a fun bike, but there are a lot of things that, after 1,000+ miles, have made me want something nicer. This is ironic I actually purchased that bike as an upgrade to my 10 year-old Raleigh. BUT, as many people who are into biking know, the more you get into it, the more the nicer components really start to matter to you. I had a scary incident in the mud with my current rim brakes this summer and that is what kind of pushed me over he edge in thinking I had ‘outgrown’ my bike a bit. There is not room for a water bottle on my frame (even though there’s a holder, what?) so I feel like upgrading things on my current bike isn’t an ideal option for me.

I’ve only just started to get my toes wet with bike shopping, but it seems the major decision is whether to get a hardtail or full suspension bike. The thing I’ve noticed is that the components aren’t as great on the lower end full suspension bikes, and I’m not really loving the price tag of the full suspension bikes with the components I’m looking for.

My general thought right now is that I’m going to stick with the hardtail and just focus on upgrading components. I definitely will be looking for disc brakes, an upgraded drivetrain and larger tires.

I’ve only checked out a few brands so far, but the frontrunner is the Skye SLX.

This is within the same line of my current bike but just a few models up. It is pretty much an upgrade in everything I’m looking for but I don’t think it’s too much bike for me. I’m a big fan of Trek, and I have had good experiences with all of my Trek bikes so far. The only downside to this bike is that it has 27.5” tires on my frame size and I was really wanting 29”. My current bike is 26”, so this one is still an upgrade, but I’m going to test ride lots of bikes before settling on anything. All of the bike stores in Charlotte are going to see me and think, “Oh god, it’s her again…”

The bike in this picture is one of the Specialized Rumor bikes (I think the comp).

The sales associate recommended that in the Specialized line, I stick with the Jett line for a hardtail.

I will have a good idea as to how my knee has fared with surgery by the beginning of summer. That is about when 2015 bikes will start to go on sale to make room for the 2016 models coming out. Buying at that specific time is how I got an amazing deal on my road bike, and I’m hoping the stars will align and I can to do the same thing with a new mountain bike. If I really play my cards right, I am going to try to find a 2015 demo model on sale for added savings. I am planning on selling my current bike privately and I think between that and buying on clearance, I have a good game plan. At least, this is what I keep telling my husband

This all obviously depends on how my knee does with everything, but at least it will give me something to look forward to. I love being on a bike so much, and even though road biking and mountain biking are completely different, I think I love them equally. Stick me on a treadmill and I will be counting down the minutes until I can get off. Put me on a bike and I feel like I can ride forever

So stay tuned for more bike adventures!