Bike Dilemma

I’m looking at getting a new bike, and have found therein a battle between the heart and the mind.

Two years ago, when I started biking to work, I got Specialized’s Sirrus. It’s a commuter bike - basically a road bike with straight handlebars and slightly wider tires. It’s good. It’s light. It goes fast. But my commute is beating the crap out of it.

Lately, I keep breaking spokes. I’ve been told that may be an issue of them being mis-adjusted, but if so, it’s beyond my abilities to get them right. Last time I had to replace a couple, I spent at least a half hour going round and round, truing up the wheel. Thought I’d gotten it perfect. This couldn’t have been more than a few weeks ago. I checked them again this week, and there were two more broken. Always on the back wheel, which means disassembling the whole thing. Pain in the butt.

Maybe this is something that wouldn’t happen if I knew more about caring for my bike, or cared more. I don’t want to fuss over it every night when I get home. I don’t want to cough up a hundred bucks for a tune-up a couple times a year, or turn my basement into a repair shop. Hell, it’s annoying to have to top up the tires every week.

I don’t even think that the bike is particularly fragile. I just don’t think it’s really made for the level of abuse and neglect I’ve giving it. It’s designed as a commuter bike. It’s supposed to be ridden on city streets. But it doesn’t deal well with going hell-for-leather down poorly-maintained DC streets. Sometimes in the dark. (“I didn’t even see what that was, but it damn near broke my wrist.”) It’s also not cut out for reckless negotiation of Arlington’s many construction zones. I’m actually doing pretty well with that, now that I have the Kevlar tires. Only one flat so far this summer. Last summer, I think it was three.

So this is all adding up to me wanting to get a new bike, something more durable, probably a mountain bike. Went over to Spokes this evening. I’d been by before, and had figured that the Trek 3700 looked pretty good. It’s one of their lower-end mountain bikes, but I figured it would do the job, and I wouldn’t have to worry about it being a theft magnet. Talked to the sales guy a bit, and he said flat out that with the mileage I’m putting on it, I’d trash it in a matter of months. He recommended two Specialized models, the Crosstrail and the Rockhopper.

The Crosstrail is a commuter bike, but a much more durable one. It’s got front shocks and heavier tires, and nine gears in back. Otherwise, it’s kind of an old-style bicycle: Big wheels, high center of gravity, upright riding position. It should be fast and efficient, but durable enough for regular use. It is a sensible bike, the bike of the mind.

The Rockhopper feels like a tank. Low center of gravity, big fat wheels. Makes the Crosstrail feel like a penny-farthing. More tire in contact with the road, smaller wheels, maybe lower gearing, so probably not as fast. But if it’s fast enough, it’d be a lot more fun. It is the bike of heart’s desire.

Nice of you all to listen, but I think you can see how this is going to end up.