My car sold

So Last weekend I sold my car. Making me and mine a one car family. I believe that I made the right move. Took some of that money and got some rain gear being that I live in the PacNorWest.

Last night I made my first run to the store for some soda and some Sailor Jerry's. I have been using my bike to get from work and back but other then that I have always used the car. After thinking about what I was reading on using bike to run to the store and other places. Last night I got my chance to prove to myself that it could be done even up here in this little town. My office and the stores and even the mini marts are all within three miles of where I live. So off I went. When I got home I was really glad that I had sold my car. I now know I can do anything I want riding my bike. I also figured out that I would really like to have a rack and some panniers. My backpack works and works well. It is that after packing a 12 pack of soda and a bottle of rum on my back I would really like to have that weight being carried by the bike and not on my back. But one thing at a time.

So little under over six months ago I started riding my bike instead of driving. When I started I had only the bike and my backpack that I got when I was over in the middle east with the military. Now I have fenders, lights, water bottle cages, clipless pedals, and rain gear. I used to think that riding my bike was just something that I did for fun. Now I ride my bike for fun and as my primary mode of transportation. Looking back I am glad that I made the switch.

A Random Morning

This here is a random morning. When you enlarge the picture you can see how I got the back fender to mount. It has been working like a champ and I am really glad that I took the time to get it made and on the bike. Now if only had a good pair of water proof pants and a jacket. Life would be sweet as pie on the road.

Freedom

This post has little to do with me and more about my son. I feel that it is really cool and important that everybody knows that he has moved on to riding without training wheels. I know most of us don't remember way back then, well I don't. It was really cool to watch him go out and start riding around the baseball field out at the park. He was very happy with what he did and his mom and I were also very proud of him. It was a great day. To feel the freedom of being on your own and knowing that you are moving that machine around on your own power.

I have heard it said that the car is your first taste of freedom. I think that almost everybody would agree that riding your bike for the first time and doing it on your own on two wheels is the first taste of freedom.

I still to this day feel better riding a bike then I do driving a car. To hear and see you town at a speed that allows you to feel alive is the best freedom that we can have.

The New Toys

So i finally broke down and spent money that I should not have on getting some lights for my bike. Being that it is Nov and it gets dark out here on the west coast before I get off work, my lady figured that me getting home safely was worth the money spent on the lights for me. So I went over to the bike shop here in town and was looking at the different styles of lights. Holy crap, there were to many choices. I did finally make one.

I went with the Planet Bike Blaze for the front and the SuperFlash for the back. WOW. So after I got them on the bike I went around and turned off all the lights in the basement. Man those lights are bright. And not to bad being that I only spent 63 bucks.

So a recap of how commuting has changed my bike and me. To start off I started riding to work to save money on gas. After a while (short while) I was riding because I liked it more then I liked driving. So I started this little adventure in the summer months. Nicer weather and well not so nice weather is here now. So my 2006 Hardrock Pro went from being a play toy to my everyday bike. I have added fenders both front and rear, lights, spd pedals and shoes to go with them, and a water bottle cage. I have also figured out that fashion and cycling to work don't go hand in hand. I have stopped worry about what I look like or what someone might think, and now I think about the fact that I feel better when I get to work. I feel better when I get home.

So what can I say I am hooked on riding to work everyday, shine or rain. And well it rains a lot up here. So I will keep on riding and hope that soon my car will sell and me and mine will be a one car family. I don't think that me and mine will ever be car free, but we will be car light. And that makes me feel good to.

The Fenders

This post is just on the fender issue. I went and got a front fender from Topeak. It is not to bad other then the way it is designed. It works well for the style of bike that I have and the fact that I have front suspension. So a fender that would wrap all the way down and protect my feet from over spray would not work. I can tell you that the next one will go down further. This is the only problem that I have with this fender. Don't misunderstand me, I like it and it does very well. It would work great if I was out in the hills and mud was the big issue. But being that I am commuting the back of the fender comes down just far enough to create this wall of water that just soaks my toes.

The bike that I ride is a hard tail. So fitting a wrap around fender to it was an idea that I got after coming to work a few times and having to change everything I was wearing. So first things first. Go find a fender that you believe will work. For most of us that are using mountain bikes, beach cruiser fenders are the best because they are long and wide enough. After you get the fender smile and think to your self you are crazy for trying this. I did. Also look at your bike and figure out how you can secure the fender to your bike. I was lucky. Not only did my frame have to predrilled hole for 1/4 20 bolts, it also have two bolts on the seat stays. I figure they are for some kind of a rack. I also scored a couple pieces of galvanized steel. These pieces will become my support for the fender. With the back tire out I eye balled the base of the fender and were I would need to trim out some to get it to fit between the chain stays. Some tin snips worked very well for this. Next I placed the fender up in the frame and took a look at it. Found were I was going to cut the fender in half. The tin snips again do very well for this. Take the back half of the fender and put it in the frame, and bolt it up. I then took my grinder out and looked over at the support bars. After trimming away the fat on them I drilled a hole for it to secure to the bike and then lined it up and drilled through the bar and the fender at the same time. Now take that other half of your fender and lay it over the top of the piece that is bolted into the frame. From the bottom mark the were you have to drill the new holes. The reason that I did this is because I had no way to supporting the fender on the back side of the tire. I then took the two half's and laid the loose piece on the fixed piece and took that support bars and bolted it all together. It works, and work pretty damn good. It still needs a little more strength. I am thinking about some very thin like 18g material that is maybe 1/2" wide and using it to create a spine to give the fender a little more muscle. I will get some pics up soon.

What a difference

So this weekend I went and stopped by Tim's Bike Shop to see if he had a metal rear fender. I was in luck this day. He had an old fender from a big ol' beach cruiser. I was able to pick it up for a very good price. I was not sure if my idea would work or not, but I was hoping. being that I ride in the rain and I was sick of having a wet ass, a fender was what I needed to do. I also got to go down to the big city and visit a new shop called Counterbalance Bicycles. Wow what a shop. I was very impressed with the shop and the guys that work there. M was the guy that helped me out with all of my questions about single speeds, and also let me ride my first fixed gear bike.

Wow what a difference in the way they ride. First off, the fact that the pedals are always going regardless if you are pedaling or not is different. Second, when you go to slow down, the pedals are still going forward. So when you put the brakes on, hang on. It bucked me right out of the saddle. If M. had not told to pay attention I would have been thrown to the ground. Riding this bike was the first time I have felt scared getting on. For one I did not have the money to buy the bike if I broke. Secondly The way you have to ride this bike is different. You have to be aware of what you are doing. What was the most amazing thing about this fixed gear was the silence. I loved how quite this bike ran. The only thing you hear is the chain gliding by and the wind in your face.

But back to the fender issue. I got the fender back to the house and went down stairs to cut it apart and modified it so that it would fit my bike. It did not take long to trim it down enough to fit. It did take some time to make the support bars that go from the fender to the frame. being that this bike was not supposed to have this style of rear fender, it took a little thinking. But I got it on there. I was trying to keep the amount of fender used pretty small and ended up using the whole thing. It is different looking. But what a difference it was coming to work this morning and not having a wet ass. I will talk more about how I made the fender later.