First 500 on Recycled Commuter

 

At the beginning of the summer, a fellow Aurora Cycling rider offered me this blue Raleigh. After replacing chains and tires for a few years on my road bike, I started to look for a second bike to pick up my "utility" miles and reduce the wear and tear on the more expensive bike. I was also tired of the weekend comments I got about the noise my 1980's rack would make.

I now have a proper bike for my 1980's rack.

The bike is similar to my 1981 Fuji (which I rode for 20+ years) with the gearing and touring feel to the frame. One big difference that I've had to get used to is the nearly straight handlebars. With drops, you have a few choices of hand positions, but with these bars, there's only one choice. No matter. The bars are cool and it's rare that I ride more than 20 miles at a time on this bike.

With the older style, rust spots, and general wear and tear, the bike is a less attractive target for thieves and for that reason I'm more relaxed about locking it up outside of a store. I do find myself running more errands now that I've got the bike.

One of the things I like most however, is how light my road bike feels when I ride with the group on the weekend. My "old" new bike feels like nothing but pedals and handlebar after riding my "new" old bike.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 19.9
Number of Cyclists seen: 25
In-bound Route: Lullwater/PATH trail with Orme Park extension
Out-bound Route: Emory via Clifton and then side trip to Kroger
Weather: Drizzly in AM. Humid and warm in the afternoon.