Heavy snow and salt-slushed roads are the largest natural enemy to steel road bikes – chunky, frozen snow along the sides of just about every road turn everywhere a bike would normally roam into somewhere a bike should really avoid. It’s like along the curbs, somebody laid 3 streetcar rails that entwine and randomly end. It’s like you’re falling the whole time, but you don’t – but you’re sure you will. I never did, but that feeling kept me off of it. Also, I love my frame so taking it out to get salted? No thanks.
Last month, I found out that going bikeless wasn’t an option. If I could ride my road bike, but I still needed to ride – the solution was clear.
I was going to have to get a new bike.
Foresaw this problem back in November, as the dread of winter creeping up on my cycle-love only got more intense as it got colder. I scoured Craigslist, because I do anyway, looking for a beater to fix up. And I did. $30 for a piece of shit, it had wheels and tires, and the spin. The problem was that it’s derailer needed to be replaced. Ok, so not TOO big of a problem, it’s something I should practice because it’s something I’ve never done. What the real problem is, is that I’m
I talked to my dad. A few years ago, the first bike I rode around downtown with on a regular basis was his old mountain bike. A 1992(ish) Raleigh Serengeti. I stopped using it because the frame was too small, but it’s small because it’s a mountain bike. It’s made for balancing and driving hard, but not for the city. Rather, not for the city in the summer. It’s perfect for winter, perfect enough. I’ll only use 3 of the 27 available speeds, but that’s ok with me. I just need to fix it up a little – the shifting doesn’t work and the brakes sing like… like brakes that don’t work (hey, I’m out of practice).
I didn’t write, because I didn’t ride.
I’m back on the road, rubber side down and the wind at my back. That cold, cold wind.
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