New person on old(er) bikes
Howdy,
I'm a 54 year old female who uses my bikes to really work - hauling a two kiddie In-line cart with postage to the post office, up to 200lbs....(plus up and down a few bridges in Chicago). The hauling bike is a Performance 203R. The "Sunday" bike is a Schwinn Traveler that I rescued form my daughter-in-law for 25.00US$ and invested in new tires, new seat, and mountain bars.
When I was exploring which bicycle manufacturer to invest in, I noticed that companies's main web page concerns are racing and downhill - empty country roads - no trucks, no cross traffic, etc. I guess I'll never be on the front cover of a sports magazine or someone's ad page, but I would like to see a touch of realism; moving through truck traffic can be an exciting sport, too.
I was having troubles with my hands going numb, so I went to a Performance speciality shop. The mechanic was so rude, I wrote a letter to the head office. I guess I wasn't cool enough; a friend suggested mountain bars and that has solved 90% of the problem. A simple solution without the attitude.
My husband's first love is his 1970's Motoecane Grand Record.
The UPS and Fedex drivers wave when they see me (they have said, I"m the wave of the future") and hopefully, some day I'll get the postal clerks out on their bikes, too.
Nothing really important to say, but a few observations.
NLF