In the middle of the journey of my life, I am--as always--a woman on a bike. Although I do not know where this road will lead, the way is not lost, for I have arrived here. And I am on my bicycle, again.
I am Justine Valinotti.
18 August 2010
Ex Cathedra: From The Saddle
21 September 2012
"Marley's" Wheel Finds Its Home--For Now
Yes, it's on the Trek 560 frame I "rescued." Today I took it out for its first run--a visit to the doctor's office, with a stop at the Donut Pub on the way home. The trip is about six miles each way.
About half a mile from my apartment, I had to make my first stop, for the traffic light before the entrance to the Queensborough Bridge. I had to think for a split-second: I don't ride coaster brakes regularly, so I had to "re-learn" the impulse to pedal backward. Obviously,it's very different from stopping with a handbrake, but it's also not as much like coming to a halt on a fixed-gear bike as one might expect. On a coaster brake, you backpedal for about an eighth of a crank rotation. Once the brake engages, you can't backpedal any further.
On the other hand, when you want to stop your fixie (without hand brakes), you actually tense your legs up and shift that tension backward and downward, toward your heels. You can't really backpedal unless you're unbelievably strong or are willing to live with two broken legs for a long time.
Once I got used to the backpedaling motion, it wasn't hard to control my stops: The Velosteel brake works quickly and smoothly.
As for the bike itself: The jury is still out. Not surprisingly, it's accelerates pretty quickly, as the wheelbase and chainstay lengths are about the same as those of Arielle and Tosca. However, the frame is made of heavier tubing and, more important, the seat tube is about 1 cm longer, which I noticed somewhat on dismounting the bike. The most significant difference, size-wise, between the Trek and my diamond-frame Mercians is that the top tube is about 2.5 cm longer. One consequence of that is that I'm using a stem with a shorter extension, which makes the steering less sensitive than it is on any of my Mercians except, possibly, Vera.
I have no doubt this could be a very good errand, city or winter bike. I just wonder how comfortable it will be for me. And, of course, I will have a more difficult time riding in a skirt than I would on Vera or Helene.
Whether or not I keep the bike, I'm going to hold onto the wheel I just built, as well as the front one. I'd also probably take the saddle, and possibly the handlebars, off the bike before I sell it or otherwise give it up. But I'm not going to make that decision before I ride it at least a few more times.
24 November 2020
America Runs On It. But Should We Ride It?
Come on, admit it: You've stopped at Dunkin' Donuts during at least one of your rides!
(I'll admit to having stopped for all sorts of "munchies" during rides, including maple donuts at Tim Horton's in Montreal, croissants and pain au chocolat at various French bakeries, kaimaki in Greece and various fruit treats in Laos and Cambodia. And, yes, for Boston Cream or blueberry donuts, or chocolate-dipped French cruellers, at DD!)
The thing is, Dunkin' Donuts knows we exist. They may know our preferences in comestibles, but not necessarily in machinery.
I came to that conclusion after seeing a photo of DD's new tandem bicycle.
Yes, you read that right. Dunkin' Donuts is dropping its usual offering of donut-themed holiday gifts, probably because people almost always purchase them on impulse in Dunkin' shops, where there are fewer customers owing to social distancing mandates. The new tandem bike is available only as an online purchase.
While some might like a frame adorned with the pink-and-orange logo (I have to admit, it is kinda cute!), one has to wonder about the bike itself. To paraphrase Molly Hurford at Bicycling , American may run on Dunkin', but nobody should ride a Dunkin' bike.
To me, it looks like a "chopper" without the banana seat. Furthermore, it's offered in only one size--with a road-style configuration both in the front and rear. Most one-size-fits-all tandems are step-through at least in the rear, if not in the front as well.
Perhaps worst of all, the rear seat is behind the rear wheel, which makes a good saddle position all but impossible for most riders. Also, the front ("captain's") cockpit is all but impossibly long for a bike its size, and the rear is so short that all but the tiniest riders would have to sit upright.
Dunkin' Donuts website does not give specifications regarding standover height, let alone geometry or componentry. I'm guessing that while the folks at DD might want us to "run on Dunkin'" they might not expect anyone to actually ride on their bikes. If anything, the bike is a collector's item for the most fanatical Dunkin' devotee. As for me, I'll stick to the Boston Cream and blueberry donuts, and the chocolate-dipped French cruellers.