Here's pretty much the final rendition of my "disposable" commuter bike (although I've come to like this bike so much that at the end of this assignment I'm going to fork over the $150.00 or so it will cost to ship it home!).







Since last I posted I've upgraded the tires and tubes (Since a cut tire-shaped-object forced me to walk 6-1/2 miles on a 95-degree day to get home!), added an Italian Racing Bike mirror, a rack and panniers, and a Greenfield kickstand. I also replaced the stem with one that's a little shorter and higher, as I had too much weight on my hands. Much better now!

This is my only bike with a kickstand, besides my 40 year old Ross 10-speed, and I have to say that these things my be appearing on ALL of my bikes after this. It is SO NICE not having to lay the bike down in the grass, or to look around for a tree or signpost or utility pole to lean it against! And, if I use the bike for an errand, it's so much more convenient to have the bike stand up by itself while I'm loading something in the panniers or strapping it to the rack!

I know kickstands are so Fred, but for a bike that is really used for real transportation, I think they can't be beat!