This ought to satisfy fred hater's curiousity as to how I commute, what I ride when I commute and what I wear when I commute.

First I ride a 7+ year old SWB, OSS Vision R40 recumbent. It is my ONLY bike. I own nor ride any others. I have no problem with it. I love my bike, wouldn't trade it for anything. She has carried me far and will carry me much further.

She has been carrying me to and from work for the past 4+ years. Over these 4+ years I have always worn some type of synthetic moisture wicking clothing to ride in, but not (dare I say it?) actual bike clothing. More along the lines of running cloths or general work out cloths, something someone would wear in an aerobics class, etc. Not that I have to justify it but I don't need padded shorts or snug bike jerseys. Though I do have and wear up to 4 actual bike jsersey's. 3 of them are from a ride called RAGBRAI, (google it), the other is a beer brand bike jersey, my favorite beer in fact. For shorts I wear Under Armour under short, kind of like a non-padded skin type short and Under Armour over short. I now prefere Smart Wool multi-sport socks. I do wear inexpensive crochet mesh back natural leather color gloves. Don't need gloves on a recumbent but I feel naked with out them and the really cool tan I get is a great conversation starter and ice breaker. I also wear road shoes with Look cleats/pedals. In fact I just bought a new pair of Specialized full carbon fiber sole shoes, can't wait to try them. Same upper as the nylon sole pair I have been using for the past 3 years. I do wear a helmet. A white Specialized Air Force with visor and a take-a-look mirror on it as well.

That is what I wear, now for what she, (the bike) looks like. First she is red and her seat frame/cover is black. In the front derailer mast she has a T shaped piece that holds the 2 front head lights, one is operated by a rechargable Li Ion battery and the other is operated by 3 AAA batteries. Just behind the T piece is a bottle cage strapped to the frame. In it is held the bottle for her Air Zound, on the top of it is the battery pack for the front head light. Going to the middle now is her steering. As I said she has OSS, or over seat steering. On her handle bars is attached the computer and horn for her Air Zound at each end of the handle bars is a mirror, yes I use 2 mirrors on the handle bars. The horn is attached to the bottle via a tube that is wrapped around the steering tube. Her front wheel is 20" and has a Planet Bike fender. Then there is her seat, the most comfortable bike seat I have ever perched myself upon. Brooks up your arse saddles don't hold a candle to my Vision's seat. Just behind the seat attached to the seat cover straps is the Camel Bak pack that holds my 70 oz water bladder. When riding, over the seat frame, covering the Camel Bak is the her Vision Day Bag. It holds things like spare tubes, patch kit, multi-tool, first aid kit, cell phone, credentials, money, etc. Most importantly though the bag holds my entertainment, or music. That's right my Vision loves me so much she carry's the MP3 player's and external speakers in the bag so I can more easily enjoy riding and she enjoys taking me where I need to go. We now move further back to the 26" rear wheel, which also has a Planet Bike fender. My Vision and I love these new fenders, just added last year. They help protect both of us from the road crap and water when we cruise in the rain. Over the rear wheel, attached to the seat stays and chain stays is a TREK rack. It is still in great shape but looks well used. It is what holds and supports the pair of saddle bags used to haul my change of cloths that I change into when I get to work. They also hold toiletries, my lunch, etc. My Vision loves the rack and saddle bags as much as if not more then I do. Prior to buying them I used to use a back pack behind the seat, this was pre day bag days too. Neither one of us like the back pack. We both agree and like the rear rack, day bag and saddle bags much better.

Other things I have attached to the TREK rack is Wald folding baskets. We use these when we run errands. We have hauled cans and bottles to the redemption center, recyclables to the recycling center and done grocery runs.

As I mentioned I use 2 head lights. I also use 3 tail lights attached to a piece of corroplast which is attached to the very back of the TREK rack.

On the fenders, frame, TREK rack, seat frame, fork, chain stays, seat stays, even the steering tube is reflectors, and reflective tape. We do a lot of comuting at night. Need to make sure motorists see us. After all we'd both hate it if something happened to the other.

When she is not wisking me to and from work or on errnads at around 12 mph avg., we are not using the saddle bags or baskets.

When I bought her she was only $900 with my $200 road bike trade in, so in total she was $1,100. Not too expensive and not too cheap. She has Shimano Deore group and a 9 speed cassette.

Do I care what others look like when they ride? No. Do I care what others think of me when I ride? No. Am I as uptight about what people look like and label them as freds like our resident fred hater? Hell no! Do I get pissed when people go zinging by me? Nope. Do I love riding? Oh yeah, especially commuting!

Do my bike and I platonically love one another? I'd like to think so. I take care of her and do right by her. After all she is my ONLY bike and at times my one and only method of transportation.

This is how I roll, err commute.