Back in the Saddle Again

Well, bike blog pals, I'm again a rider.

On Saturday, a very rainy day, Audrey and I went bike shopping at Northtowne Bike Shop in Cedar Rapids.

For a while, we toyed with the idea of a tandem, an idea we may come back to in the future, but the real reason for our trip was that I had relented and agreed to Audrey's conditions--if I were willing to get rid of my two aged, old rust bucket bikes, she would buy me a new one.

It will count, at least, as my Christmas present, and she owes me naught for next Father's Day and the following birthday is iffy.

What bike did I choose? Well, brand meant little to me, it was more the style. The Trek I had been riding, a sort of Frankenbike from a frame Cate gave to Jon (who subsequently got a new bike from Microsoft during an internship there) and parts of a Trek I rode until the frame snapped, along with various other parts, was long past prime. I also own a 1974 Schwinn Continental, and toyed with the idea of seeing if a welder could fix the brace that held on the back brake.

But, if that weld failed: A) Could it be repaired? B) Could I trust the repair and C) If frame welds were starting to fail, it is a good idea to ride that bike?

Nah.

The new one is a "Globe." It's black, it's sleek, in three days of riding it has been an odd pleasure.

A pleasure because it easily shaves 5 minutes off of my commute time--what had been a 25 to 30 minute ride has been, or was Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, a 20 to 25 minute ride. A pleasure because it has shock absorbers and a comfy seat--two things most bikes that I've owned have lacked.

Odd due to its configuration. Note the low triangle of it's frame. Note how far the seat is adjusted above that frame to fit my 60-inch vertical measure. The handlebars are a bit like the old one speed Schwinn my father bought me in 1966--the bike I rode until I bought my 1974 blue 10-speed. But a bit higher. In terms of ride, it reminds me a little bit of those weird banana bikes that were a strange fad of the early 1970s. My arms are straight forward, I'm sitting pretty high.

Well, I can get used to it. It's a bit like driving a Buick after having only owned Volkswagens. At my age, the comfort is OK. And the height may help me see and be seen, all good things.

Most of all, of course, as nice fall weather settles into Iowa, this is the perfect time of year to be back in the saddle.