Wish List for 2022
Rick Proctor
The holiday season is here. The kid in me has always known the holiday season starts with Halloween and goes through New Year’s Day. This is a season mixed with days off from school or work, fun days, food days, gift days and party days.
Most of us now are mature and responsible adults with additional considerations, but if you ride a bike, I bet you have some “kid” still in you too and you know someone should be asking what’s on your Christmas wish list. If someone asks, you don’t want to get caught without a wish list and say something like “uhh . . . football” or whatever. This is a good time to leap out there with a bold statement like “a new bike!”. The details of what kind and any pertinent features should be known and shared too. Be considerate – if the person asking about it is expected to pay for it there may be a measure of shock to deal with, so break it to them gently. But if the person asking is a bike-riding friend who just wants to know, well, then some shared enthusiasm is ok.
If a new bike is too much to ask for, there are lots of practical alternatives. Replacing worn out stuff is maintenance and not considered wish-list-worthy by adults-with-kid-still-in-them. Wish lists should involve upgrades to your bike riding experience. These upgrades should be somewhere between fun and “bling” on the amusement dial. In the bike world, bling upgrades are either shiny or make a pleasant noise. Upgrades can be:
- Items for your bike, like really good fenders, better gearing, or electronics.
- Stuff you wear, like a helmet, shoes, or anything in between.
- Things that enhance your biking experience, like a hitch mounted bike rack, home bike storage rack, bike maintenance stand, or tools.
If you’re sure Santa won’t service your wish list, it’s ok to do it yourself. America is famous for do-it-yourself activities! This offers the advantage of taking out the middleman and allows you to get exactly what you want without losing important features in a translation. Go for it!
