Polka Dot Lisa on a Lisa

If you read my previous post, you would seen that Polka Dot Lisa was looking at upgrading to a road bike from her flat bar of just 9 weeks. But how did this happen so quickly since starting riding you ask? Read on…

It all started after I was talking enthusiastically to my sister Sara about our cycling and my improved fitness and weight loss. Sara expressed an interest in doing some cycling herself and after promising to fix up her old MTB and put road tyres on it, I then saw the condition of the bike and came to the conclusion that it wasn’t worth the trouble of fixing it.

I had a chat with Mum and we decided that we would help Sara out by both putting in for a new bike for her (flat bar road), just to give her a head start to help her with weight loss, fitness and generally a improved outlook on life.

So one afternoon I was wasting some time looking online at bikes for Sara, including Ebay and the local online bike shops. While looking, I saw that BSC had the 2007 Kona Lisa RD on special for $1499 (reduced from $1999). We had already had a quick look at it in the shop a few weeks ago, mostly because it was a really pretty looking bike and also because it was called Lisa (hehe), but upon seeing it on sale and then checking out the specs in detail, it was obviously a good deal.

So the mind gets ticking… “What if the money that was to go towards a bike for Sara, was put towards PDL’s road bike and then PDL’s current bike (the Kona Dew Delux) is handed down to Sara (giving her a MUCH better bike than she otherwise would have gotten in the bargain)”. I run it past everyone and all think it sounds like a great option with everyone winning as a result.

On our way back from our Frankston ride on Saturday, we drop into BSC to have a better look at the bike and allow Lisa to test ride it. A few rides back and forth between the 49cm and the 46cm and it looks pretty obvious that the 49cm is the right size. The only tiny issue is the seat tube is too long and wont drop down enough to allow PDL to sit right but a few mins with a hacksaw will fix that.

The next day (Sunday) we head out to Freedom Machine in Port Melbourne to give PDL a chance to test ride some other similar bikes. While they didn’t have anything in the same price range (a women’s Orbea about $2200 and a full carbon Specialized for about $2600), PDL did have a test ride on them up a side street to give her a point of reference. The Specialized especially was an impressive bike, so light it was laughable!

On the way home we forgot about the Melbourne Marathon and we caught up in the detours and traffic jam which ultimately directed us towards Prahran Freedom Machine and with a car park open right out front- well, how could we NOT stop?

The staff at Freedom Machine Prahran, were super helpful, even though they were flat out busy. After seeing a 2007 SUB 2.0 on special for $1399, the staff grabbed a 49cm and put her on the bike on a set of rollers to make sure it fitted her. They took the time to measure her up and check all aspects of the fit for her which was fantastic. While they did this, it helped give me a guide on what to look for when fitting a bike to a body which would turn out very helpful later on. Anyway, PDL took the SUB for a test ride and once again it felt good to her but she was struggling to feel the differences between them being so new to road bikes.

In the end considering that the SUB’s wheels were average Shimano’s, to upgrade to Mavic Aksium Race wheels like the Kona had, would add another $300 to the price. Hmmm...

So back to BSC we go to look at the Kona Lisa RD again and another test ride. After thinking and pondering for a while, PDL was just about to leave it for the night to think when while I looked at floor pumps. The sales man tells us the Serfas is the best pump and he will throw one in with the bike (the pump is priced at $100). PDL and I looked at each other and we both knew it was a done deal!

So with the shop in the process of closing up, they prepped the bike for us while PDL looked at the helmets to upgrade to, finally choosing a white pearlescent Met Stradivarius II (its VERY nice and I’m jealous). Then before we knew it we were walking out the door with a new bike, new top of the line helmet, free pump and more free rim tape (yep- after my bike had a blow out from a failed rim tape the day before, PDL’s flat bar did the same thing overnight on the bike rack).

Just we were about to walk out the door, I realised they had left the Shimano SPD pedals on the bike that they had fitted for the test ride and just as I was about to open my big mouth, PDL gave me a “shut-up” and so we also scored some free pedals. Noice!


When we got home, we were both pretty excited about the fast chain of events. PDL quickly put her gear on and we went down stairs to take it for a spin on the side road. A few photos and then PDL rode up and down, practicing corners, riding one handed, and some general bike handling skills. She was a bit nervous about her ability to handle a road bike but I just know she has the skills to do it (even if she doubts herself). As she rode up and down the side street, she looked so good and pro looking. Watching her ride made me smile and I even got a tear of joy. Ahh I’m a silly duffer!

That night, we hit the online OS bike shops to order bottle cages, a bike computer and lights. Cha-ching!

Polka Dot Lisa on a Lisa