Have the fit, now just need a bike (and money tree)

I had a fantastic experience at roll: on Lane Avenue last night. At the suggestion of Big Daddy Diesel, I walked in around 5:45 for a fitting appointment with Chris. He was great. He listened to what I was looking for (entry level road bike, want to be able to race it on the weekends but still use it as a commuter bike during the week), and he put me in the super cool Star Trek scanning device which takes all your measurements.

He suggested the Giant Dash line for me - it's the frame and build of a road bike but with "hybrid" handles. For racing, just clip some aero bars on, drop the stem a bit and you are good to go. Otherwise, it's a fantastic bike to use for commuting to work and just goofing off on trails. He let me take it on a test drive, and it felt really comfortable to a newbie like me. It felt less aggressive, but I was guaranteed that I could really get up to speed on it.

Problem is - even the "cheap" model of the Dash is just under $700. While that is technically "cheap" for a road bike, my budget is even smaller. I have yet to collect a paycheck from my 100% commission based job, and I don't fell right in arguing a case to drop more than $400 on a bike when in all respects I am contributing nothing to the financial well being of my family. It's the right and responsible thing to do.

But did I mention that roll: has a 12 month financing same as cash program??? Ugh. But we have had ZERO credit card debt for a few years now, and I would like to keep it that way. I just don't know.

The plan is to continue looking on craigslist for a while, and my little village is having a massive community garage sale this Saturday. Who knows what I may find when all the wealthy folks around here clean out their garages? I may have a Cervelo P3 that I snagged for $50 by Saturday brunch (a girl can dream, right???).

I now know what size I need to look for, so I feel confident in moving forward. I won't be bikeless for much longer, I just know it.

Tonight is my last master's swim class. I am glad and sad about that the same time. Now I have to force myself to hit the pool 2-3 times a week. I can do it. Yes, I can do it.