On May 5, 2008, at 1:29 PM, Bob Sutterfield wrote:

> For a one mile commute, you can't go terribly wrong with a Craigslist
> or garage sale bike. Don't worry yet about racks and fenders and
> internally geared hubs and integrated nav/comm systems - just get
> something cheap and in adequate condition to get you into the habit of
> riding. You'll develop your own preferences as you build experience.

I can vouch for that; that's exactly what happened to me.

I started out on an old 1980s-era road bike I bought on the street for
$20.00. Over time, with more experience, I kept evolving as a cyclist,
moving first through a low end department store mountain bike to a good
quality Norco mountain bike (to which I would make extensive
modifications over its lifetime) to a low end Norco road bike and
finally to the midrange "performance commuting" Norco I ride today
(which, like the Norco mountain bike, has been customized within an
inch of its life ;)).

Riding all these different bikes taught me, little by little, what I
needed to make a bike's performance match my riding style.

When I first started, Kings Road, my primary commuting route, was an
ancient, narrow pothole-strewn mess. Riding that $20.00 road bike on
there was horribly uncomfortable, not to mention hard on the bike.
That's why I initially set my sights on dual suspension mountain bikes;
I more or less saw dual suspension as all but indispensable on that
road at the time.

Actually, that DID ultimately turn out to be the best choice. During
this time, Kings Road underwent a complete reconstruction. The
pavement was completely torn up making it totally impassable on a road
bike; it was more like a motocross track than a road then. That's when
the dual suspension mountain bikes were most fun; they let me BOMB over
that at pretty much full speed. It wasn't uncommon, actually, for me
to beat CARS through that stretch. ;)

However, once the reconstruction was complete, suddenly Kings Road was
glass smooth and the suspension became a liability; it was just sucking
power out of my pedal strokes and it was, of course, HEAVY. That's
when I started thinking road bike. When I finally got one (a former
rental from my local bike shop), I felt like I could FLY every time I
got out there.

As time went on, I got better and better at maneuvering and negotiating
with traffic. Today, even if I encounter bad pavement, I can actually
dance around the potholes and no longer need all that heavy suspension.
I've also discovered the miracle of the Michelin Pro Race tire;
minimal rolling resistance and incredible traction, yet runs at a low
enough pressure and is flexible enough to absorb road shock. It almost
feels like I HAVE suspension without the weight and power penalty. ;)

When I first started, all I wanted was a bike that worked properly.
Today, when I get a bike, I tend to customize the thing to death
because now I know EXACTLY what I want in a bike: SPEED. Every
modification I make is designed to accommodate high pedaling cadence
and high speed. For example, my current bike is a 2006 Norco VFR-3:

http://tinyurl.com/2sqrqu

Customizations I've made include:

- Replacing the straight bars with drop handlebars for a wider variety
of gripping options and the aerodynamic advantage of being able to use
the drops when heading into wind or on high speed runs
- Replacing the double chainring with a triple to allow finer gear
ratio adjustment (an advantage when you pedal at high cadence 90+ RPM,
as I do) and giving me a small ring for towing Lisa's trailer (Lisa and
trailer together are fairly heavy and a small ring helps get us moving
from a stop).
- Replacing the stock tires with the aforementioned Michelin Pro Race 2
(Pro Race 3 when these wear out ;))

I also replaced the rear cassette with an eight speed, but that was
only because it came as part of a package deal with the handlebars,
shifter set and chainrings. I've found that seven speed is sufficient,
so long as I have three chainrings; eight or nine is just icing on the
cake. ;)

When I first started, I knew NOTHING about handlebars, gearing, tires
or any OTHER part of a bike, for that matter; pretty much all I knew
was "pedal and it moves." :P Now, I know exactly how the available
gears, gear ratios, tires etc. affect my ride and I'm VERY choosy about
my bike's components (particularly gearing and tires, which I've found
to be the two things that affect a ride more than any other
components).

Some day, the same thing will happen to you. As you ride, you'll learn
more and more what you like and don't like, what's important to you in
a bike and what isn't. Cycling is an intensely personal experience,
probably more personal than driving any other vehicle. Every body is
different, and every cyclist's tastes are also different. It takes
time to figure out exactly what your body and your mind likes in a bike
but, when you do, some day you'll sit on a bike the feels like a part
of you.

THAT is the ultimate rush of cycling. ;)

If you'd like to see the bikes behind this story, check out "John A.
Ardelli's Bikes" in the files area of the group. The only bike not
represented is that old $20.00 road bike; I don't have any pictures of
that. :P

John A. Ardelli
http://pedalingprince.blogspot.com
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/vofv/