August 17, 2005
Mike Likes Bike
I sincerely apologize for that lame heading.
I recently parted ways with my Mongoose mountain bike. In fact, I sold it to Wes. I had owned and depended on that bike for 7 long years of recreation and transportation. But alas, it was time to make way for something new. Something lighter. Something with much less maintenence involved. Something like this gem of a bike pictured above.
This "new" bike has been one of the single most sound investments I've ever made in my life. "What makes it so great?" you ask? Well I could say it's the sweet blue Schwinn World Sport road frame probably made when I was 5 years old. Or I could go on and on about how much I love the green Michelin mud tires. And who could pass up a seat like this? I do enjoy all of these features (and more) about this bike but there is one categorical difference that sets it apart and thrills me just to think about it. Two words: Single Speed.
That's right. This bike only has one speed. One gear. No easy gear for hills, no hard gear for flats. No shifting at all. There are actually a lot of people buying into this single speed thing. Like myself, people with these bikes like the idea of lower maintenance. There is also the extra challenge of turning your legs into virtual gears that draws people. This style of bike attracts a lot of people who use their bike on a regular basis like commuters (me!) and bike messengers. Still not convinced? Check out these websites devoted to the single speed craze.
And for the really hardcore... www.fixedgeargallery.com
So what kind of bike do you ride? The world wants to know.