BobbyG

This afternoon I did something I haven't done in years. On the spur of the moment I jumped on a bike in street clothes and just rode. No shorts, no shoes, no helmet, no prep. And not MY bike.

I am not a casual rider. I bike to work four days a week year round, in rain or shine, on ice or snow, and down to 10F. I keep my bikes locked in a locked shed and I keep my old helmets out there so if I do decide to ride somewhere I can wear a helmet.

But usually, even for short rides I'll put on my bike clothes , headband and helmet, glasses strap and glasses-mirror, plus gloves and I almost always bring my backpack.

Because I tend to "suit up" to ride, I usually walk the 3/4 of a mile to get a haircut. It takes about 15 minutes each way. But my wife's bike was sitting unlocked in the garage, so I just jumped on and pedalled away.

What an overwhelming difference of sensations!

For one thing, all three of my bikes have me leaning forward in a road bike posture. Her bike is an upright step through comfort bike.

All my bikes have toe cages and straps; hers, just platform pedals.

All three of my bikes are steel; two road bikes and a hard-tail/straight fork mountain bike. Hers is an aluminum 26x2 step-through with a padded seat with springs on a suspension post and softly, sprung front fork.

My old road bike has downtube friction shifters, the MTB has cross-fire trigger shifting and my newest bike has brifters. My wife's bike has 3x8 twist shifters.

The wife's bike also has front and rear blinkies, a bell, a bar-end mirror and a small bags under the saddle and on the frame.

I covered the 3/4 of a mile in about 5 minutes on quiet residential streets. The first half mile is identical to my commute route and on my wife's bike I was going noticeably slower than on my bikes (except for in the winter on my studded snow tires).

The upright posture and suspension components made it a very comfortable ride, but I'm not sure I could sit so upright for nine miles twice a day, and especially not for longer rides. I had discomfort and trouble with long rides on an upright bike in my 20s, and 30 years later I'm sure it would not be any better.

The bottom line is it was freeing, liberating and exciting to just get on and go...but only for a short distance, and only on quiet side streets. I kept expecting my phone or wallet would exit their respective pockets, and if I broke a sweat or hit a bump, I was afraid my glasses would fly off. I didn't have any tools, patch kit or spare innertube.

It was a fun reminder of how I used to ride as a kid, growing up in Chicago, footloose and fancy-free (and with near-suicidal recklessness; but back then ignorance was bliss).

I wonder if the wife would let me put a banana seat and high-rise handlebars on her bike...

Doctor Morbius

This sounds like it could be the beginning of another n+1 relationship.

thumpism 

So you were pantsless and barefoot...

canklecat

My comfort hybrid is pretty similar to that bike, although with a sloping top tube in a compact frame rather than a step through. Got it back in 2015 when I resumed cycling after a 30-year layoff. Still use it for errands.

Main drawback to the upright style is hill climbs. There's a 0.3 mile 4%-5% climb from the grocery store. Doesn't look too bad until you ride uphill on an upright hybrid loaded with 50 lbs of groceries. Really strains the adductor muscles in the front hips. I may put a flat bar back on that bike. It's still comfortable and much more efficient for climbs and longer rides.

I don't always wear a helmet for rides down the block to the grocery store or pharmacy. Probably not a sensible choice since my immediate neighborhood is often the most dangerous place I ride. The immediate area is all apartments with mostly transient tenants, very few long term renters. They have no investment in the neighborhood and it shows in their attitudes and driving.

Huge difference only a mile away where the traditional single family homes have stability, home owners invested in their community, folks who jog, walk and bicycle for exercise, and drive more courteously.