Confessions of a blue collar commuter - Part 2

Observation #4:  It's going to be commuted on, not raced

 

Its important to remember that we are trying to find a good tool that will primarily be used for "getting around".  Now whatever that may mean to you, I think its fair to say that most of us enjoy a spirited ride from time to time regardless of how city oriented our bike might be.  I find myself getting my legs warm and really picking up pace on my commuter bikes and like to build them accordingly.  Being that most of my riding actually takes place during commutes means that I want to get the most out of such rides.  Balancing utility with sport for me is important being that I don't want to gravitate one way much more than the other.  Though I might want a semi-aggressive geometry out of a bike, or maybe a more overall light weight package, I try my best to make these things possible without unnecessary sacrifices.  You wont see me commuting on aluminum frames for example, or low spoke count wheels for that matter.  Bridging the gap between utility and performance is always a delicate balancing act and depends entirely on the type of riding you will find yourself doing. 

 

 For me 95% of my in city commutes are done on good to decent condition pavement with the occasional hard pack dirt or gravel trail thrown in.  Conditions such as this have me coming back to a middle ground that is somewhere between the ultra light single speed and fixed gear bikes I once rode, and the heavy, often overbuilt fully rigid "mountain" bikes that I spent the last four years almost exclusively using.  I now enjoy more than ever a well balanced, steel road bike frame with tubing of average thickness: not so much that the ride feels dead yet not so little that everything I lean the bike on translates into a dented tube.   I use tires that are considered "thick" by traditional road bike standards (28-30mm) that offer me the traction and comfort I seek. 

 

My Univega frame and fork was found in excellent condition.  This bike was built up mostly with
 parts that I had from other bike projects. Though moderately priced, like the Fuji bike the quality components
are easy to find, replace and swap if and or when the time comes.

 

Observation #5:  Commutes change, and so should our bikes

 

Since heavily commuting via bike over the last six years, I have had a handful of jobs all over the city of Albuquerque.  From the north east heights and Rio Rancho, to the International district, North valley and Corralles.  The length of the rides, roads commuted, loads carried and weather conditions encountered have all contributed to changes in what I have found as optimal (and fun here lets not forget).  Being that I keep encountering many of the same variables, I have managed to settle on the two main commuter bikes to get around.  They both exhibit very similar handling characteristics, have nearly identical ergonomics and all in all feel like closely related relatives.  One bike (the red Fuji) is set up with a slightly larger frame, longer wheelbase, and thicker tubing for front and rear racks with quad panniers to carry light to mid weight loads.  I utilize taller gears in the cassette to compensate for the extra load. This will be the bike I hop on whenever I need to get around with more than just the essentials.  From laundry and groceries to anything in between for the long days out and about, this bike will get it done.

 

For equally long but less load bearing rides, I have built up a second bike (the blue Univega).  This bike is slightly more compact and aggressive than the Fuji, giving it an overall quicker and snappier feel.  The tubing is slightly thinner and the wheel base shorter.  The gearing is not as big as the Fuji's being that only a saddle and handlebar bag will be outfitted to the bike (tools and snacks in the front with phone, wallet and keys in the rear).  Similar brakes, shifters and derailleurs are utilized on both bikes to give a very seamless transition between the use of both bikes.  I wanted the two of them to feel as close as possible to one another within reason, while maintaining their own individual personality (color schemes, accents and such).  Having two commuter bikes seems essential being that no time lag is necessary if something catastrophic occurs with one of the bikes.  If it comes to it I can even outfit the Univega with racks to compensate if something happens to the gear hauling Fuji.  The parts are 100% cross compatible, from the seat post size and crankset bcd (bolt circle diameter) to the headset size and bottom bracket width.  A back up or replacement part for one bike is a mirror for the other. 

Observation #6:  No work, no pay, no play

 

For me, getting stuck out there with no option is a non-option.  I need to be able to figure out a quick solution in order to make it to work in one piece.  Be it back up city bus schedules memorized or a secondary bicycle which I can transition to, any fail safe is better than none at all.  If I can secure myself any extra preventive measure I certainly will.

Though I have had, and continue to enjoy so much fun commuting all over the city year round, I do very much understand that it is a privilege more than anything to be able to do so.  To have a job to commute to and from is the reason for the commutes in the first place, and by keeping the wheels spinning, both literally and figuratively, I can further solidify more joy filled riding down the road for myself.

Confessions of a blue collar commuter - Part 1

I often get asked what type of bikes I ride and why it is that I choose to ride them.  Though the initial answer is usually short, it is often followed with a lengthy elaboration as to how it is that I came to such conclusions.  After having answered these sort of questions as many times as I have, I though it would make perfect blog post material, particularly regarding my "commuter" bikes.  A lot of my thoughts regarding bicycles have changed over the years and have usually done so in direct proportion to my enhanced knowledge via trial and error, studies produced by others and my intended application of riding styles changing.  Though the same can be said for the commuter bike, a new set of criterion arises to meet the demands and rigor of city cycling life.

 

The city is a place where just about anything can happen at any time.  If you commute frequently or just ride occasionally within the confines of any major city you must be prepared for the seemingly innumerable implications of metro life.  Thievery, careless cyclists locking and unlocking bikes, bad roads, bad weather and bad drivers to name just a few of the unaccountable variables.  You can prepare your bike every morning to near perfection and still have to submit to the way of the world.  Having been a bicycle commuter now for my sixth year without a vehicle, I have seen just about everything under the sun when it comes to cycling related mishaps.  Being that I want to see my dollar go as far as possible, I build and plan around the idea that I could have any of my lovely bicycles taken from me at any time for nearly any reason.
 

Observation #1:  Don't ride it if you can't replace it

 

Though I have never personally been on the receiving end of a stolen bike (although I recently had a trunk bag full of tools and kit stolen directly off the rack) I have watched three of my very close friends have bicycle that we built to their liking, from the frame up, stolen and never seen again.  The big take away here is that it takes a hell of a lot longer to replicate a very specific custom bike build than it does to wave goodbye to it in the wake of thievery.  Its simply too time and cost prohibitive to replace high end bicycles that are used as frequent city bikes.  This might ring particularly true if you are a daily commuter who depends day in, day out on your bicycle to get you around.  With that having been said, it only seems logical to make efforts to outfit yourself with a bicycle that not only does what you want and need it to do, but that can achieve such goals for a reasonable price that wont render the bike irreplaceable (at least in the monetary sense as opposed to the sentimental).

 

I work extremely hard for the money that I earn and find tremendous folly in commuting on a super expensive, super high end machine that on a regular basis will be subjected to high risk exposure all over the city.  I have to come to terms with the fact that I could just as easily be the next to have a bicycle stolen and need to be ready for that in every sense.  Though I do understand that anyone can have a bike stolen just about anywhere, at any time; I do understand the inherently higher risk factor of city commuting as opposed to taking that higher end bicycle out for a ride where it might see almost no "out of sight" time.  If I am going to have a super exotic bicycle (which I do not) it will be ridden in a more isolated setting where it will not see time being locked up in the shuffle of downtown Albuquerque for hours on end.

 

 

My most recent commuter oriented bike build.  A $100 New old stock, mid range Fuji frameset that sat in a
 closet somewhere in the Midwest for the last 3 decades.  Affordable, reliable, and repeatable is the goal here.
 Square taper bottom bracket, 1" threaded headset, 700c wheels and friction shifting.
Easy to find, affordable to replace and cross compatible parts are prerequisite. 

 

Observation #2:  Simple parts make for simple fixes

 

Bicycle parts get dirty, wear out and break: all of them.  At one point or another (excluding those who choose to simply replace bicycles and parts before they need replacing for whatever reason) you will find yourself needing to fix or replace a facet of your bicycle.  Commuter or not, this is a reality that we all face and can not avoid. 

 

The year is 2016 and nearly every bicycle component manufacturer today sells products that are typically less than functionally optimal, requiring proprietary bits to fix proprietary components for proprietary "group sets" that usually cost far more than they should.  Long gone are the days where you can grab any ol' shifter from the bin of used parts to fix what should in more cases than not be a simple fix for a simple problem.  The basic reality of the matter is that most of us have become consumer locked into a particular company.  If you want to continue shifting your Sram drivetrain after something fails you will in most cases need a corresponding fill-in-the-blank Sram compatible component to keep the bike shifting and the flow of Sram profits growing.  The same thing can and will be said for Shimano and Campagnolo.  The "big three" as I like to call them have not only made it cost prohibitive to make minor repairs, but often times entirely impossible without buying a new component all together.  If all one can find bin of shifters at the local bike shop are old outdated Shimano and Sram bits, the likelihood of doing a quick Campagnolo fix will require good money and a longer wait time for the wholesaler to ship the part, and in turn the cyclist (most shops don't stock every little bit of componentry that is needed to make repairs in the same way that auto part shops sometimes do).  If we can figure out how to set up a more simple bicycle that depends less on proprietary based componentry, and more on universal standards, we take another step toward a more headache free, money saving DIY solution while giving the preverbal middle finger to those to try to insult our intelligence as consumers with marketing gimmicks and planned obsolescence.
 

Observation #3:  Its going to get scratched up and dented

 

Your bike was made for a reason, and if that reason happens to coincide with heavy commuting, it is going to get beat up at an accelerated rate.  From the city bus racks scratching up your fork, to careless cyclists locking up bikes frantically and dinging your frame, your commuting steed will indeed experience a storm of wear and tear regardless of whether it was built to endure or not.  Every bike (excluding one that I babied) that I have ever done any sort of commuting on has acquired a nice patina of chips, nicks, dents and scratches from usual use.  Some of the battle wounds were self inflicted while others were completely unavoidable.  The simple matter of fact is that if you have to look over your shoulder every time you take more than a few steps away from your bike (I have been here), you might want to ask yourself if your bicycle is a good pick as a commuter.