Warm the weather, Mother, Daddy wants to RIDE!!

Mother Nature, beastie that she is, has been mostly mild through this Winter, so far. Oh a little tantrum here and there, but nothing long lasting or serious. I've only had to break out the snow blower once, so far.

Yesterday was no exception.

It was in the upper 50's when I got home from work, and it was still light outside, so I changed clothes and clicked off a couple of quick miles on the bike.

I intentionally did NOT shift gears when taking the slight grades in our neighborhood, so when I got back there was a bit of that "pasty feeling" in my legs - that feeling that was so prominent when I first took up riding, again, last Fall. Of course it went away after a while - a rather short while, I might add, and I'm sure once I get back to regular riding it will disappear again. It's just a bit disappointing to know that I've fallen so far back in so short a time.

I really need to live somewhere warmer.

Ndinombethe.

The Machine

Hello!!!! hello hello hello hello.

Hmmm. There's an echo in here. Maybe we gotta fill this place up with more stuff, huh?

Anyway. Pictured below is my new bike. Well, not so new now - it's 3 months old already. But it is my baby and it's been stuck in the garage for far too much of the time recently.

Today, it was out and on the road. 46 degrees of temperature is just enough to get me started. Having ridden, I thought it might be nice to pose my ride on the grass next to the driveway, and take pictures.



That's not the driveway in the background - that's the street. You can't see the driveway. A point of clarification.

The bicycle is a Schwinn World 24 Commuter. Trigger shifters, carrier on the back, and the panniers were added after purchase. I plan on organizing rides, so I need the panniers in order to keep tools, first aid supplies and repair stuff handy as we ride.

It is VERY comfortable to ride, but I am going to replace the seat with a noseless saddle.

Ain't she purdy?

Ndinombethe.

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.