Bikes seem to last a lot longer than cars. And because of this, it is easy to have several. I finally got a Dahon Speed TR, my third in the Speed series of folding bikes. TR stands for the touring model. The other two are a D7, which is a 7 speed, and a 27 speed TT (Time Trial). Each bike is special:
The D7 is unassuming in looks. It’s a comfortable commute bike, and it was inexpensive and came with fenders and a rack. There’s nothing fancy about this bike, but I’ve enjoyed long rides (50+ miles) on it. The bike is easy to maintain and has been dependable for about 10 years. It is also easy to lock the seat, making it a good urban bike.
The Speed TT is the bike I got in order to take to California when I was working on the San Mateo County Bike Map. At 23 lbs, skinny tires, 27 speeds, a shock absorbing hub, and time trial style handlebars, it has been a pleasure to ride. I got clipless pedals to use with it. The 2008 model that I have has handlebars that are a little narrow. The bike feels pretty quick. I’ve added fenders and a rack to it. If I were going on an 80 mile bike ride, I’d probably take this bike.
When I bought the TT, what I really needed was the TR. The TR is 10 pounds heavier and has fatter, lower pressure tires. The handebars are about 5″ wider. I bought the 2008 version and replaced the rear rack with the traveller touring rack that comes on the 2009 model. There’s a front rack for panniers as well, and a air pump built into the seat post. The TR has 24 speeds (a wider ratio than the 27 speed TT), and the front hub is a generator hub that will power the front lights or my iphone. This is the bike I can use to carry groceries without my heal hitting the rear grocery bag pannier. It’s also, if I have time, the bike I can go overnight camping with. It seems very durable.
I find all the Dahons comfortable, and they are simple enough that I can maintain them. They are also one-size-fits all, so I can loan a bike to a friend for a ride.
My other “folding” bike is a Bike Friday Family Tandem, which I find essential as a parent. This bike actually comes apart rather than folds. I’ve added a special crank attachment that essentially shortens the crank to better fit a kid. I attach a trailer-bike to it in order to travel with both of my kids.
Each of these bikes has functions best depending on the context. To sum it up:
D7 – Urban trips (to Center City, or keep in the trunk of my car).
TR – Suburban Shopping, Overnight Touring (bringing it on Amtrak, SEPTA or a bus).
TT – On-road rides of longer distances that aren’t touring. Likely involves a train ride.
Family Tandem – Daily trips with kids.
July update
Pennypack Creek, Huntingdon Valley
Serenity is going on a short bike ride along quiet roads, sitting by a rushing stream, picking wild raspberries, and somehow feeling like you’ve been transported out of a mad traffic culture. That was a week ago already.
Having a farmer’s market in Jenkintown is also a wonderful thing.
Today at the farmer’s market, I had a nice conversation with a maple syrup vendor from near Green Lane Reservoir. We were talking about tapping trees for syrup, shale drilling, the Perkiomen Bike Trail, and the financial aspects of owning farm land three hours away from where you live.
I also talked with Judy, who with her Husband Ed and son Matt, drive wonderful produce from their farm (Herrcastle Farm) to Jenkintown from Southwestern Lancaster County on Wednesdays. Today’s harvest was really great, and I bought several cartons of golden cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, plums, raspberries, fresh corn, cantaloupe, etc.
My daughters really like raw milk for some reason… and cookies. I guess you can’t beat this combination. They also like the arts activities set up by the Abington Arts Center and the flute and violin music (especially the flute) of Erik and Jane Petersons. I enjoyed their music too.
Farmers markets are a growing trend. At the same time, I think there needs to be greater certainty that people will buy the great produce that the farmers spent all day harvesting and then another day selling. I think it would be nice to help these farmers link up with my daughter’s daycare or with the Abington Friends School or with the Abington Hospital. These are all places where people are going every day to work or pick up their kids, and if customers can order a bunch of produce online and pick it up someplace they are going anyway, the farmers wouldn’t be subjected to the weather fluctuations that affect sales. If someone is driving three and a half hours round trip, and they are providing a great service to us, I hope they are selling what they’ve grown.
As much as I like our farmers market and bike rides, my focus is on my next bike map. I’ve been researching and analyzing state bike maps, and I plan to present useful rough concepts for the New Jersey State Bike Map in a couple of weeks. This will be a starting point for discussion that I think will lead to a useful, compelling map.