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19 september 2006
Ypsidixit Obtains Winter-Bike
TODAY YPSIDIXIT got her winter-bike, a no-frills mountain bike from Bicycles in Town. $45. That's how no-frills it is. But Y. is a no-frills person.
Drawback: it's a hideous shade of girly-girl purple. Now, Y. is not a girly girl. I grant you, I have my feminine side. Like you, kind reader. Yes, I can be nurturing to plants, when I don't kill them. Yes, I can put dinner on the table, if it's the chicken dinner I've been feebly trying to impress people with for the past decade. Yes, I like my satin PJs, because they encourage laziness, one of life's soul-healing prerequisites. But my one dusty eyeshadow thing is ten years old and my preferred footwear is sneakers. So I felt a tad ridiculous powering this unicorn-purple bike home today. The purple's gotta go.
In its favor, this bike is just what I was looking for. Its rugged tires are almost 2 inches thick and covered with the knobbly knobs that grip ice like a claw. Its hard, unyielding seat fosters the hard, unyielding resolve needed to bike through freezing cold. Its tough steel frame can wham over curbs and potholes without injury. And it's suspension-free, which means the shock absorbers are not in the front fork but in my arms, which will only toughen them. Yes, sir, this machine, elegant in its simplicity, will help hone me into the fearsome athlete who can cruise without incident through six feet of snow in blizzard conditions. Old Man Winter, peeking around the corner, regards with dismay my all-conquering craft.
Posted by ypsidixit at 19 september 2006 20:22
Comments
YES, I have three other bikes. But none of them makes a good winter-bike.
The 'bent puts you in a lolling, reclining position, exposing you to the winds' cruelty. One needs to be in an aggressive, forward posture in order to create the frame of mind necessary to power through the cold. The 'bent is ideal for lazy summer long-distance trips. Not for winter. It's also long and heavy and not as maneuverable on icy roads. One needs a much nimbler craft in the winter.
The 1940s bike is pretty much kept around for sentimental reasons. It's a fat-tire sidewalk cruiser. Totally unsuitable for the winter. A beauty, though.
The hybrid has smooth tires and is big. Yeah, I could swap in new knobbly tires, but they still wouldn't be fat enough for the wide, grippy tires one needs for the ice. Plus its bigness catches the wind, making it less maneuverable. Plus the front suspension makes it a tad wimpy. One needs an uncompromising hardtail in order to encourage the uncompromising attitude needed to attack the winter.
THEREFORE, I needed and luckily found the ideal winter bike.
Plus you can never have too many bikes, and now I have one for all seasons and moods.
Of course, there was that li'l red 'bent at BIT that I had my eye on...just 'cause it was so cool...
Posted by: Laura at 19 september 2006 20:45
Sounds like a beaut. My winter cycling experience was limited to a short jaunt with my 27 lb. racing bike back in high school. Two spills in 50 yards convinced me that cycling was at best a 3 season spot. Of course, it's not a sport to you...
Posted by: Shupac at 20 september 2006 09:01
...it's a religion.
Rode the Eggplant to work today. Y'know, I peeled all the dopey stickers off last night and suddenly I like it much better. I've decided the eggplant gleam is the purple of Antarctic ice floes, as chronicled by Y.'s hero Roald Amundsen. So I'm OK with it (translation: too lazy to change it).
Posted by: Laura at 20 september 2006 09:59