Broader, boy, broader

It seems the older I get the more tender my "sit bones" get - so saddle size is starting to become an issue. Well, not so much an issue, but certainly something I need to be aware of.

After a couple of quick miles over the weekend (weather really wasn't as good as I would have liked) I have decided that the new Schwinn needs a different saddle - the one it came with is just a bit too narrow - and I have become spoiled by the saddles on the other bikes I ride.

I will deploy some pictures in the next day or two to illustrate, but the saddle marked "G9", which I currently have on my "Dutchie", may get moved over to the new bike - or I may just buy a new one and put the Schwinn saddle on the shelf. On the other hand, I could also replace the Schwinn saddle with a "No Nose" saddle, but it's not the nose on this saddle that bothers me. It's just that I AM a big proponent of "No Nose" saddles, so why wouldn't I?

I haven't decided. But I will.

Ndinombethe.

What a RIDE!!!

I put 5 miles on my new Schwinn World 24 Commuter yesterday. During much of the ride I was into the teeth of a fairly stiff headwind from the South. No problem. A range of 24 gear selections makes any headwind just a breeze (pun intended). I may think about a wider and softer seat, but only after a couple more rides on the one the bike was born with. It hits my "sit bones" a little differently than I am used to - and it's a little firmer than the other seats I like to ride, so we shall see.


Be an S.O.B. - a Saver of Old Bikes.

Ndinombethe.

It's here.

My new bicycle is in the house - in the garage, actually. I will post a review once I actually have a chance to spend some time in the saddle. Let me tell you, though, first impressions are really, REALLY good.

I haven't decided on a 'name' for the bike, yet. 'Captain Comfy' and 'Roscoe', my two single speed keepers, are going to find themselves ridden less, I think. And, of course, 'Geronimo', my Huffy 10 speed All Terrain, will always be there for "off-roading", but this bike - the new bike is going to be King of the Stable.

S.O.B. - Save Old Bikes.

Ndinombethe.

Test Drives - Schwinn Voyageur as Proxy for the World 24

In preparation for the purchase of a new bike, I did some test riding over this past weekend at Perfomance Bike in Naperville. Yes, this is a plug, I guess. No, I am not being compensated by anyone for this post.

Okay. That said, I have had my eye on a particular bike for a while. I like upright seating - and the most comfortable saddle possible. I DON'T like a bike that feels too "crowded", and I like multiple speeds. I have become particularly attracted to "Dutch" style bikes - transportation, not toys. And the bike I have in mind is close to a true Dutch - the Schwinn World 24 Commuter.

I went to Performance Bike, hoping to test ride the World 24, but they did not have one in stock. What they DID have was the Schwinn Voyageur - same frame, same front end and same suspension seat - so it was close enough to substitute for the World 24.

I rode it and knew - just KNEW - I was on the right track and the World 24 is the bike for me. Smooth, comfortable, easy to ride into a stiff headwind (because of the wide range of gears) - easily a bike I could ride for 20 miles or more at a time. To start.

This is a link to the bike on Performance bike's web site.

This is going to be my 'paved' trail bike. This is going to be the bike that most people who ride with me (IF that ever happens) will see most often. This is the bike that is MINE - and will not be sold. Any other bike in my possession is eligible to go to a good home. Like puppies. Sometimes sold. Sometimes given away. But not the World 24. That's going to be my "Life Bike" - the bike I ride for health and fitness.

Ndinombethe.

Not only that ...

There's a group on Facebook called "Biking the 'Burbs" which ought to hold some interest for bike people, as well.

The casual cyclist, as well as the serious competitor, ought to find, as time goes on, those of kindred spirit habituating the Facebook group. And here, too.

At least I hope so.

As an S.O.B. (Saver of Old Bikes), I plan to list the bikes I have restored to serviceability with the objective of finding them a good home. Sometimes for sale. Sometimes to give or donate. But always with an eye to putting old and previously disused and/or abused bicycles back on the street/road/trail.

Are you thinking about trying out Road Biking? That can be an expensive undertaking - and if you haven't ridden enough to know, absolutely, that you're going to do it, perhaps picking up a bike from me or someone else who is an S.O.B. might be a less expensive way to experiment.

Need a second bike? If you have a cruiser or commuter type bike and look with envy at those who veer off the beaten path, picking up a mountain bike from an S.O.B., like me, might be a way to get off the trail cheaply. Or maybe you're a Roadie and would like a "Dutchie" to tool around on, just for fun. If I don't have one handy, I can build one in short order.

S.O.B.'s like me? We serve a purpose.


Ndinombethe.

S.O.B. (Save Old Bikes)

You can tell that many people consider bike riding season to be at an end - just check out your local Goodwill store.

Once in a while a bicycle will show up at Goodwill. One. Once in a while. Today I went to Goodwill and found 4 mountain bikes sitting there - waiting for good homes. Granted they all needed repair - and that's why they probably never made it to Craigslist. But I found one - a Huffy 10 speed - that I was able to ride across the parking lot and throw into the back of my Saturn Vue. The derailleurs are a little stiff. They just need some lube. I should probably replace the brake pads. So, for an investment of less than $25.00 (the bike at $14.99 and brake shoes at $4.95 a pair) I have a perfectly serviceable mountain bike that fits me and will last. Later I may even replace the saddle with something a bit more comfortable - but that will be because I WANT to - not because I HAVE to.

I like to keep my big butt comfy - no matter what I ride.

That said, now is the time to start looking for the bike you want. If you are handy, now may be the time to buy the Winter Project bike - get it in, tear it down, clean it up, fix it up, and turn around and ride in style and/or comfort this Spring. Or sell it to someone who needs a good bike and may not have the resources to spend on a 'new' bike.

That's what the name of this post is all about. S.O.B. Save Old Bikes.

That's what I do. If that's what YOU do - then you and I are on the same side.

Ndinombethe.

Let's See What Happens

This is the first of many, I hope, posts in this blog about bicycles and biking in and around the Chicago Suburbs. And the City, too, as far as that's concerned - but from the standpoint of a suburban rider who might ride, occasionally, in the City.

My name is Lou, my signature is 'lceel', and over time I hope to build this into a respectable source of bicycle information - repair, maintenance tricks, trails and events.

I possess several bikes - all of them are old and in some stage of renewal and/or repair. They are always for sale to a good home. Like puppies.

I hope, now that you've found this blog, that you comment, that you come back, and if you have a biking blog, that you list your blog in your comment so I can create a blogroll of biking blogs in the sidebar.

Ride on!!

Ndinombethe. (As I go, I am wearing you.)