The Trek 4500 – Bryan Strawser

For the last three weeks, as a part of a major change in my lifestyle, I’ve begun to seriously exercise for the first time in many years. My goal is to reach 170 pounds in a year or so.

I’ve found that running on the treadmill is exceptionally boring – and the treadmill here at the house is not a great one. Running outdoors is good and easy to do in this neighborhood, but my shins aren’t so sure about that. So a few weeks ago, I started riding my bike.

Now, I’ve had this bike since 1992 when I was preparing to goto college. I paid $80 for it at Target and it shows. It has not worn well over the years. So after discovering some local trails and talking with some friends that had nicer bikes, I decided that a new mountain bike would make a nice Christmas gift this year. So Christmas came early for me.. it came this morning!

After researching several bikes, I ended up purchasing a 2004 Trek 4500, along with some accessories (below) from Silver City Bicycles, just down the road in Raynham, Massachusetts.

Here’s a view of the Trek 4500:

In addition, I wanted to be able to monitor distance, speed, time, and some other factors, so I picked up a Cycle Computer from Vetta – the Vetta RT-88. This little baby is wireless and measures a ton of factors. Take a look:

Of course, you have to have a cool helmet. Unfortuantely, I couldn’t find a Trek helmet that fit my head – so I went with the Specialized 2005 Air Force. It was a pain in the ass to adjust, but I suppose it’s worth it to keep my brain intact.

Of course, I have a wish list of items. Here it is:

I expect this list to grow in the coming weeks!