Hard Tail(16)

"Go ahead-but you know, if you're only going to be using it on the road, you might want to look at something more like this." Matt loped down to the other end of the rack and pulled out a slimline model with knife-edge tyres and dead-straight handlebars. No question about it, this bike looked more, well, me. It was a city bike, not a trail bike. If the Genesis was an off-road rally car, this one was … a Smart Car.

"I'll stick with the mountain bike," I said firmly, surprising myself with the strength of my gut reaction. Did I really hate my old life that much?

As he pulled the Genesis out of the rack again, Matt grinned up at me like I'd made his day. "You won't regret it. They're great bikes, these." He had the most infectious smile I'd ever seen, and I found myself grinning back at him-even as something seemed to twist inside me. 

I realised he was waiting for me to say something, but my mind was a blank-or rather, it was too full of stuff I couldn't possibly say.

Could I? Would it really be so bad if I-

And then the bell above the door jangled, and I was stuck twiddling my thumbs behind the counter while Matt spent the next half hour showing our entire stock to a dithery bleached blonde who chewed her hair and texted constantly.

I was intensely glad to see her tight little shorts wiggle out the door again, despite the fact she hadn't bought a thing-although I wasn't sorry she'd turned up when she did. What the hell had I been thinking of earlier? The confession I'd been about to blurt out to Matt was the sort of thing you couldn't ever take back. And what would have been the point?

"You all right?" Matt asked. Obviously, my little round of self-recrimination had been playing itself out on my face like one of Marcel Marceau's greatest hits.

"Fine!" I said with false heartiness. "Right. Weren't we in the middle of selling me a bike? Should I take a look at some of the others?"

"Well, to be honest, you won't get much better than the Genesis for your first ride. It's a trail bike, so it's versatile, and it's got proper disc brakes."

"Which is good because … ?"

"Well, first, they work-not like the rubbish you see on toy-shop bikes-and second, they don't go tits-up in the wet. They're a bit heavier than rim brakes, but I doubt you'd even notice the difference. Anyway, I don't reckon weight's going to be a crucial issue for you, is it?"

"Well, I'm not planning to race it up Snowdon, if that's what you mean."

Matt laughed. "Maybe not in your first week. Nah, the Core 10 is a good, basic model-not too pricey, but it won't fall apart on you either. Why don't you try it out for size?" His enthusiasm, as always, was infectious and hopelessly endearing.

"Hmm. What size do you reckon I take in mountain bikes?" I cocked my head and pretended to study the Genesis critically. "Medium? Large? Extra large?"

"Well, eighteen inches is the most popular size, but this one's a twenty-inch frame, which I reckon should be just right for you. To be honest, I think that's the only reason it hasn't sold already-we don't get all that many blokes your height coming in."

"So the twenty-inch is the equivalent of an XL, is it?" I pulled the Genesis out of the rack, feeling a totally unwarranted smugness at finding myself above average in this department.

Matt squinted at me and the bike. "More like large," he replied, bursting my bubble. "But you want plenty of clearance over the top tube for those unplanned 'foot down' moments. Trust me, you don't want to be damaging the family jewels out there. That sort of thing can really spoil a ride."

I squirmed internally, both at the unpleasant images conjured up and at Matt mentioning my "family jewels".

"Yeah, looks like that one's about right," he went on, oblivious. "A good rule of thumb is to have the saddle at a height where your leg is straight with your heel on the pedal. Then when you've got the ball of your foot on the pedal you'll have a slight bend in your knee. That means you'll pedal more efficiently and you won't wreck your back."

I swung my leg over the bike and sat down on the saddle. It felt comfortable, if a little insecure-I only had the tips of my toes on the floor. My feet itched to get on those pedals and ride it properly.




 

 

"Yeah, that's great." I felt heat rise in my face as I realised Matt's critical gaze was now directed at my crotch.

He nodded, as if satisfied with whatever he'd seen there. "Why don't you take it for a test ride? I mean, it's dry out, so you won't have to worry about marking the tyres if you change your mind."

"Sure you'll be okay?" I asked, already halfway to the door.

Matt nodded, his eyes twinkling. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Unless you're planning a quick run down to Brighton or something?"