“My first bike as an adult…”
by Steve ~ August 20th, 2007. Filed under: Other people's bikes.This was a recent comment on the very first post in the Bike of Doom blog. It’s relevant to the whole discussion, from then to now, so I thought I’d include it as a post on its own, as it tells the story of somebody else who started off with a “Canadian Tire special” and upgraded to a better bike along the road (suffering the expected consequences as a result).
Comment on [The Bike of Doom]
by Irfon-Kim Ahmad
My first bike as an adult was a Canadian Tire special very similar to that one, and I used it for exactly what you’re talking about here — commuting to and from work every day (about 12km each way, so a bit further than what you’re talking about here), all-weather riding, riding downtown and locking up with a $20 flexible lock. You know, it worked out pretty well. I rode it for two or three years that way, including a 144km ride from Toronto to Waterloo. When I finally decided to upgrade, it was still working fine, if you knew its quirks. I gave it away for free to some guy who wanted to ride with his kids but couldn’t afford a bike of his own at that time.
My new bike wasn’t a “nice bike” by bike-person standards, but it was an upgrade: a Giant Yukon (I think?), about $600 at the time, I think. I took it on a couple of short rides to try it out and it was noticably nicer. Then I rode it downtown for my very first real ride. Wonderful ride. Went in to the ROM in the middle of the day in broad daylight, left it locked with the same lock to the bike rack outside where there was a huge line of people. When I came out, it was stolen.
I don’t really have room where I live for multiple bikes, but I sometimes think that if I did, I’d go the route you’re going — a really nice bike and a beater. It’s a great option. Instead, I have another mid-level bike and a really expensive lock.
I won’t say that I miss my Canadian Tire Special, but I will say that it served me really well for the price that I paid. My wife, who rides a lot less than I do, still has hers.
August 20th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Good story, illustrating probably the most valid reason for purchasing a Department Store Bike as a kick-around commuter: nobody wants to steal it. I have found that of my three bikes, The Canadian Tire special is the only one that gives me that feeling of freedom I had as a kid with a bike. Ride it anywhere, lean it against a wall, lock it up, leave it… it’ll still be there when you get back.
My current commute is 12.5 Km one way, about 25 Km per day, so we probably put on similar mileage. I am happy to hear that yours lasted two or three years. I’d like mine to last that long, but if it does I’ll be astonished.
I think the Giant Yukon is a pretty good bike. One of my cycling buddies rides one and has owned his for years. He has upgraded it and maintained it well and it still works perfectly. My “good” Mountain Bike is a Giant Boulder, the entry-level Giant Mountain Bike. I bought it because it was the only one in their line-up (2005 or 2006) with a rigid front fork.
August 23rd, 2007 at 7:49 pm
What a great story. I just picked up the SC1800 for $99 today. I just threw it in the car…a little squished, but hell it’s not like it’s expensive. It’s also my first bike as an adult and I can’t wait to ride it. It’ll be a weekend warrior type of bike. I’m going to test it out on trails and such. We’ll see how it goes. Great blog!