Will Spring ever arrive this year? Looking at all the new snow on the trail as we braved another "spring ride," I began to seriously doubt it. Nonetheless, my
Rivendell is back in action after a long winter.
Now, here's an admission: Although the Sam Hillborne is super-comfortable, when it comes to shorter rides without major hills I've come to prefer a more pared-down roadbike. In fitting the
Rivendell with a front rack,
decalleur, handlebar bag and good sized saddlebag, we made a conscious decision to optimise it for long distance travel and exploration at the expense of simplicity. Though individually each accessory is fairly lightweight, all together they do add heft to the bike and make it more difficult to take in and out of the apartment. And I find it inconvenient to detach and reattach the bags depending on what kind of ride I am taking, so I would rather just leave them on.
I have a routine 30 mile ride that I do whenever weather permits, and on this ride my ideal bike would be a lightweight single speed (fixed/free flip-flop hub), with a tiny saddlebag and no fenders. Currently, my
Moser and
Bianchi share this role, with the
Moser being the fixed gear and the
Bianchi essentially acting as the freewheel singlespeed, since the 2x6 gearing is so unfinicky that it allows me to forget it's there. By contrast, the 3x8 gearing on the
Rivendell feels cumbersome on a ride where I don't need to shift gears.
I am not the first person to experience the epiphany that "for fast and short rides I prefer Roadbike A, while for long and hilly rides I prefer Roadbike B." Still, I was surprised to feel myself developing this preference - particularly the single speed and no fenders part of it. There is something to be said for just being able to throw a bike down on the grass and not worry, for pedaling fast and not playing around with shifters. At times I value this simplicity and ease more than I value load capacity, gearing, comfort, and yes - even keeping my clothes clean and dry. There, I said it!
I love a man who can remain well-dressed in the summer heat and humidity. The Co-Habitant is one of these impressive creatures.
Here he is, wearing linen trousers and a brushed cotton button-down shirt in 90F weather, hauling around a 60lb bicycle and looking none the worse for wear. This is on the Charles River Bike Trail, which we have finally figured out how to take all the way to West Newton (there are some interruptions that make it confusing). The landscape is absolutely idyllic.
Anastasia IslandSt. Augustine, FloridaNovember 30, ..
