my bikes

08/05/2005 -- bike!

i finally got around to buying a bicycle, my first since sophomore year of college. i've been doing fine getting around on foot, but there are times when i'd like to go a little farther or a little faster, so i decided it was time to get myself some wheels.

i've watched freecycle and craigslist for months and considered glenn's advice of looking at the lineup outside the thrift store, but in the end, i decided to plonk down the cash for a good quality new bike from a bike shop. i took the arguments of bikesrnottoys to heart, and decided that if i'm really going to use it instead of letting it sit in the shed, my bike has to be pleasant to ride now and well-tuned in years to come.

so this one was $360, not $36, but it comes with all the bonuses of a bike shop bike: i got lots of good advice on choosing a bike and was able to test ride several models around the area, they built it for me on the spot, adding the mirror and pump i wanted, and they'll give me a tuneup in a month, adjustments for the life of the bike, and 15% off accessories.

and it cost 28 times less than my car.

thanks to the great folks at the bike doctor; i'm so glad you're so close.

two quick observations from the ride home:

1. i'm rediscovering muscles i'd forgotten.
2. i couldn't believe how high i was sitting. visibility was at least 50% better than in a car. i could see everything in every direction.

look out, here i come!

(and thanks to the welcoming committee in the door.)

09/19/2005 update:panniers purchased.

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09/19/2005 -- pannierized!

i'm just a grocery-getting fiend.

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01/25/2008 -- i've been doing more biking lately, and decided to splurge on a folding bike i could take on buses and trains, the bike friday tikit (courtesy of mount airy bicycles).

i've had it a week now and taken it on numerous errand trips and two of my saturday citywide slogs (glen burnie to owings mills to mayfield (lake montebello) and back to glen burnie). it's quite a good ride, better than i'd expected. the only limitation is that once you're in eighth gear and hit a good cruising speed, you can pedal all you like, and it's not going any faster. headed downhill, just coast, you're not going to get any resistance if you try to pedal. going uphill, it's great. it's so light that even a casual biker like me can easily climb hills that make my quads scream on my full-sized bike.

i do wish there were just a little more room in the bag i bought for the front rack. i may try to find a slightly wider one.

i'm sorry this is a little blurry; i'll try to find an assistant cameraman who doesn't drink.

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folded, it's a marvel of compaction. it's really out of the way when i stick it in the corner of a store while shopping, and fits perfectly into the footspace of a pair of bus, subway, or light rail seats. with the water bottle on the back and bag on the front, i can usually fit everything i need, and don't have to bother with a backpack. it can be lifted by the handle on the back and rolled on the front wheel, great for zipping in and out of stores or off a subway train and out of the station.

i'm always amazed at what a solid bike it seems to be after having been such a tiny bundle.

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so far, all the reactions i've had have been ones of positive interest, but i bought the "shower cap" to deploy in bike-hostile environments. if i didn't have the bag on the front rack, it would cover everything and make it look like just another piece of luggage. people may say, "hey, you can't bring that in here" to a pile of spokes and chains, but are unlikely to look twice at generic-black-package.

so, my one-week short review is: i love it! folding bike technology is producing great new products that can be serious car alternatives for cities and can be stowed inconspicuously at the destination and on any public transit segments of a trip.

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