Move over girls, there's a Super Model in town.

 Nothing says fast, sexy, agile, racy, and just down right badass, than a hot little Italian number in the form of a Kuota Tri bike.  I have been perusing Tri bikes for years now, with the serious intent to buy over the past couple months.  What a decision!!!!  Ever since I started doing Tri’s/duathlons WAY back when, I have coveted these super sleek, fast looking rockets.  And now living in an Ironman city, it is even worse.  I swear people were out riding their awesome little tri bikes, JUST to make me envious! 

            Many of you already know, the various bikes available, and the fact that no two are alike.  Not only do they not look alike.  But they feel different, ride different, and fit the body different.  You cannot just walk out the door and decide on a bike immediately.  OK, maybe some can…I cannot., and most shouldn’t.  I have done research on them all.  Ridden a few.  Know everything about them all, and finally came to a decision.  My wonderful bike guru John, at Mountain View Cyclery in Hayden, Idaho was fabulous with me.  Showing me different bikes, then I would leave to shop around, and come back to him.  Looking at his different bikes, patiently waiting for my swirling mind to be made up.  Finally I thought I had it narrowed down.  So I would come in to “visit” the bike.  Look it over.  Feel it.  Touch it.  Ride it.  Had other bike Guru friends come in and look it over, watch me ride it, see how it fit me.  You would think I was making a major life decision.  Like to have a baby, or a career change, or a move across the country. Epic. Well, it did kind of feel that way.

I finally chose.  The Kuota.  She is stunning, and perfect, and beautiful. 

I went in to pick it up yesterday, and to have my fitting.  I am not, by any means, a bike Guru, so please excuse my measuring lingo. 

 Again John was wonderful.  Everyone in that bike shop is amazing.  Very knowledgeable.  Extremely helpful, and with the down right patience of a Saint.  My fitting took about 2 ½ hours.  I road my new beauty on the trainer, while John watched me, walked around me, measured each leg, from hip to knee, knee to ankle.  Feeling my knees, my spine, and my lower back.  Having me up and down out of the aero’s.   Checking the angle of pivot from hip to knee and knee to ankle. Watching each foot rotate in the pedal after we put on my new Look Keo pedals…in red of course.  (A girl has to accessorize) And even measuring with a plumb bob from my knee to my foot.  There was so much measuring and moving it was insane.  But in the end, the perfect bike set up and fit for one Paula Nilges.  Perfect.  Fits me to a tee.  Like a glove.  There wasn’t a whole lot of moving per say, just by mere millimeters, but enough that you could feel the difference.  Also, her weight.  Like a fly.  I can lift her with one finger.  She is svelte, slender, and almost weightless. Crazy!  In the end the whole experience has been awesome! 

So here she is.  Her introduction.  My new girl. 

The evil mistress to my two old road bikes.  I could FEEEEEL the tension as I strolled her through the garage and into the house past my other two.  One sitting aside, and the other on the trainer wondering what was so special about HER that she is heading into the house. 

And there she was.  Sitting in my living room.  Looking like a Christmas present that I had begged for as a kid.  That’s exactly what I felt like.  In fact when we left the bike shop, I wouldn’t get off of her in the parking lot.  My husband, standing at the back of my suburban waiting patiently to mount her on the bike rack.  Begging me to go, as I road around like a kid with a huge smile on my face.  Around and around.  Greg glaring at me to GET IN THE CAR.  Me, cruising around the lot not wanting to get off the bike.  We’ve all been there with our kids.  Yep that was me! 

 I haven’t wanted to put her down since, and I certainly can’t keep my eyes off of her.  She’s got some kind of Italian hotness to her, wouldn’t you agree?