Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Flats and tubes, buy stuff, repeat


I patch, lord knows I patch. But sometimes, when the patches have patches it's time to replenish. It seems like overkill, but just look at the Instagram photo below. That's not a hand full of tubes, that's one tube. So I ordered a twenty-pack of tubes.

Plus, here's the important part: Tricia likes new tubes. So, new tubes she shall have. At least for the week or two it takes us to puncture all these.


Sunday, October 25, 2015

Ten Thousand Miles on the commuter bike

I turned 10,000 miles on my commuter bike riding home from #losmedanoscollege tonight. #bikecommute

On my way home from work Thursday night my little Cateye computer informed me I'd ridden 10,000 on my commuter bike. Almost all that is commuting to work. My Subaru gets to stay in the garage, safe from the dangers of the road and parking lot, safe from being worn out on a short drive every day. Here's hoping that car will last a long long time.  And that's just one bicycle related bonus. Getting to start and end my day with a bike ride is a treat I'm grateful for every time I do it. Even riding in the dark, the cold or the wet has a certain "I'm alive!" delight that driving never has.

 I got the bike in May, 2012 and set it up with panniers, fenders and lights. It's slowly evolved but remains a Motobecane Fantom Outlaw. Here are some early photos.

clean bike

This is it pretty much as purchased, still with cross tires and the original saddle.

Motobecane Fantom Outlaw commuter bike

Added fenders, changed crankset and saddle, added coffee and lights.

Ortlieb and RackTime rack on Fantom Outlaw commuter
With new Ortlieb panniers.