Mike, Bike: Together Again

Last weekend I bought a Giant Escape N7 city bike. Unlike the picture below, mine's blue and was configured with several extras: a chain guard, front and rear fenders, and a rack.



One of the selling points for me was that the brakes are in the hubs. That means I spend less time replacing brake pads (I hate adjusting brake pads) and I don't accumulate that sludge on the rims after wet weather rides. And like my last bike, the gearing is internal also, so there's fewer exposed parts to clean and maintain, and the chain doesn't twist back and forth when shifting, so it lasts much longer. It's also convenient that this was available at the bike shop at the end of our street.

I've made a few rides around town since then, including a ride to and from the train station last Thursday. For now I'll be using it mostly on the weekends but I expect to use it more during the week as the weather improves. I pay 16 - 20 pounds a day for cab fare, so if I were to bike instead, the bike will pay for itself in a few weeks.

There isn't a convenient space for keeping the bike in our flat, so I got a nylon cover for it and lock it to a downspout next to our back door.