I have found a renewed interest in posting to my blog. Last week I made my first post in over a year, as sort of a trial run to make sure this thing was still active. The post was of no major importance mentioning some overpriced coffee makin' machine from Japan. I liked the shiny photos…
My renewed interest in the blog is entirely centered around commuting to work. For the past coupla years I have considered off and on how I could cut down on my driving. Most people who know me would be quite surprised at this, as I have always professed a love for driving. Driving has always brought a sense of freedom that is still not lost on me in my mid-30s. However, recently I have found myself becoming more and more agitated with other drivers, to the point where I get really stressed out with traffic and all the morons allowed to drive here in Austin. This, together with rising fuel prices, a desire to reduce my negative impact on the environment, and even a deep-rooted interest in public transportation (going back to my time living in Prague, no doubt) has led me to search for a better to get to work.
Last summer (2007) my wife and I bought our first home in South Austin. I was pleased to discover that there was a bus route that picked-up about a mile from our house that went directly to the UT campus where I work in central Austin. I used to leave the house around 7 AM to get to work by 7:30, parking in a surface lot close to campus, for which privilege I paid almost $50 a month.
I began commuting on the 110 - South Central Flyer last November. My commute time has almost doubled, but I save the $50 a month in parking, as well as the cost of gas and wear and tear on my 2001 Toyota Tacoma. The added benefit is that I enjoy my “drive” to work much more. I usually enjoy my coffee and a good read on my way to work, and I have also met several Austinites that I enjoy talking to. I have been commuting by bus for almost three months, and it has become part of my daily routine.
Recently I began considering riding my bike to the bus stop in order to leave my truck at home. You see, the bus picks up at 6:43 AM and I usually drive to the stop and leave my truck parked along the street all day. This has bothered me for a few reasons - it’s only a mile and I’m still driving everyday. It would be about a 10-12 minute walk, and I can’t get used to the idea of leaving my house at 6:30 AM!!! (That extra ten minutes in the morning is critical.)
The Solution: ride my bike to the bus stop and throw my bike on the handy rack on the front of the bus. This will not only allow me leave my truck in my garage all day and possibly all week, but I will also have some transportation around campus. Brilliant!
The Problem: the only bike I currently own is a late 90’s classic Specialized Stumpjumper, set up as a serious off-road machine. The saddle is uncomfortable even when wearing chamois shorts, the pedals are clip-in, and the bike is not ideal for commuting with its big knobby tires and front shock.
So now we finally get to the point of the story. I need a new bike. I know, all you cyclists out there are laughing because you have all been there before. Any reason for a new bike is a good reason. This is legitimate though. I could convert my mountain bike to be more commuter-friendly, but then in order to ride off-road I would need to take the time to convert it back. I really enjoy coming home from work and hopping on my mountain bike and heading down to the Mary Moore Searight Metropolitan Park for an after-work ride on some local singletrack, and I often take it down to the greenbelt for a weekend ride. So converting it is not really a viable option. The only viable option is to get a commuter bike.
I have been looking for a commuter bike for several weeks now. Being a mountain biker I prefer a more upright position compared to the bent over position of a road bike. I’m not looking for a “comfort” bike though – some hunky thing that I could barely lift. I am interested in a road bike with a flat handlebar – light, quick, and comfortable. I narrowed my search to about seven different models including the Specialized Sirrus Comp, Trek FX 7.6, Bianchi Castro Valley, and Jamis Coda Comp. (I would like to mention here that these are not my “dream” bikes, but what I considered to be the best bike for commuting with a limited budget. Ideally, I would liked to own a nice
Rivendell Saluki or Bleriot, or an
A.N.T. Maybe someday.)
The other option I have considered at great length is converting the Stumpy to a more commuter-friendly bike with a nice comfortable saddle and some platform pedals. Either way, the truck needs to stay at home and I really want to enjoy riding a bike daily.
