I admit, I've gotten lazy over the past six months. Sure, I've been carpenting, yogaing, hanging out with friends, and working, but the lazy part is that I've been driving to do almost all of that. And it finally struck me like a brick to the forehead the other day- in no small part because I saw a gas sign with the numbers $3.89 on it.
In taking a look at my regular trips, only two- going to the scene shop and the "regular" (read: non co-op) grocery store actually necessitate a car. The rest can be accomplished on foot, by bus, or on bike. As much as I like my bike, it's a mountain bike, not built for practicality. So I'm going to have to ugly it up a little. The to-do list:
Kickstand. Although I appreciate the aesthetic look of no kickstand, it's a real pain in the ass when you're chaining the bike up, or even just parking it in the house.
Storage unit. I'll wear my backpack if I have to, but it's impractical for a co-op trip, for example. Probably just get some sort of double basket on the back wheel.
Fenders. I don't mind riding in the rain, but I'm not enamoured of getting soaked from below in the process.
Tires. I'm torn on this, because the knobby tires I have are nice in the wet. But I'm not riding off road, so when it's dry, they're really more of a hindrance than anything.
Not that any of you care about any of this. :) I just want to make sure that I've got a reminder out there somewhere of the stuff I need to get done. :)
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3 comments:
I'll bet the working from home gig has really helped to lower your gas consumption.
Getting your bike ready for everyday riding is a great idea. I wish it were that easy for us - things are either easier by foot or transit, or by car. Biking can be more trouble (too awkward for groceries) and I always worry about locking up my bike in public.
Good luck with the upgrades!
I care!!! I've figured out that every time I ride my bike to work I save $2. I'm not to the point of doing errands on the bike, but I'm getting there.
And as for the knobby tires: they don't help in the rain as much as you think. A nice grippy slick will do you much better. Something like this.
mishka- that has been the one bright spot in working from home, that we're filling up a lot less often. And now that the library down the street has a coffeeshop inside, it's gone down even more! I know what you mean though- Harrisburg wasn't only not conducive to bike travel, it was downright dangerous. This city is much more bike-friendly. And flat.
cycho- Thanks for the link! Those should fit my rims, and the price is nice as well!
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