Re: [CR]Winter riding and bicycle you ride during winter and style

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme:2004)

Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:15:11 -0500
From: "Harvey Sachs" <hmsachs@verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]Winter riding and bicycle you ride during winter and style
To: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>


Most of my winter riding, like most of my riding the rest of the year, is commuting to work. One-way it's anywhere from 6 mi. flat (drive the hilly part, park, ride the rest), or 9.5 the "regular" way, and 13 or so the optional summer route. The longer rides are too hilly for my aged knees to do with the fixed gear, but I do the short ride fixed, and as much other riding on fixed gear as possible. There are a couple of reasons, and they don't any longer have to do with "suppleness" and "pedalling in circles." First, I love the feeling, the intimate feeling of being really connected to the bike. It's just different. It's not as good with the ASC 3-speed fixed, either, because of its slop and backlash. Second, and as important in winter is the ease of maintenance. My most frequent fixed steed is an early 70s Raleigh Competition that has cheap wheels and a beat-up Stronglight 93 crankset with a 42 tooth. Gets wet? Spray the chain with more lube and moisture displacer, even the lowly WD-40 if that's the easiest to grab. Gets salty? S*** happens, live with it. This bike is a joy to ride, but burdened with pannier and lights it is just a tool to get me to work and back. with pleasure. It gets the same respect as a good huntin' dog: praise for being good at what it does, not for what it looks like.

harvey sachs
mcLean VA