$3 Bicycle

The bicycle has got to be one of the coolest and under-appreciated inventions in modern history. I can still remember a younger version of my fast-approaching-30-self getting excited over each of the many bikes I've owned (and ruined) in my childhood. The bike was my first real taste of freedom, like it is to many kids. As we all grow older, fatter, and lazier the wonder of the bicycle escapes us faster than reaching our flabby arms out the window for our drive-thru McDonalds treat.

Having absolutely no data to back me up, I'll say that the bicycle is the most efficient means of human powered transportation. Without hills in your way you can cover a lot of ground quickly without using a whole lot of energy. Gasoline required? Zero. Calories burnt? Plenty. It's a win-win (until you factor in the size of your hind parts and how they'll feel trying to get acclimated to a narrow bicycle seat again).

I'm by no stretch of the imagination an anti-gasoline tree hugger ("the stable" at home contains two cars, a motorcyle, a go kart, and a truck - with high ambitions for adding more and more - did I mention I'd like more toys?), but I still love a good bike ride to remind myself that I can move my considerable mass around using only my own leg power.

Last year my wife and I bought our first home out of town in a gorgeous country setting. We're both "country mice" so we love the area, but thanks to the rolling landscape, it's made it hard to go for a leisurely bike ride and not throw up or have a heart attack along the way.

My bike at the time was the bottom-of-the-line Trek mountain bike complete with absolutely no suspension, 21 gears, and meaty tires that hinder-more-than-help any riding on the road. Of course, that didn't stopped me trying out the 4-mile road "loop" around the house last summer and promptly swearing off ever doing it again. I'll spare you the bulk of my excuses, but the hills are steep and numerous, and I'm too stubborn to stop and get off the bike (or pedal standing up). In between gasps of air, my brain slowly calculated my stubbornness to roughly equate to ten times my lung capacity. As I'm coming into the home stretch, every bit of my lungs, mouth, throat, legs, and brain ache, throb, or just stop working to some degree. You know, the home stretch after a 4-mile bike ride. Pitiful.

There had to be a better way, and again the stubbornness wouldn't allow me to drive my bike somewhere just so I could ride it. After talking to my friend Jon (who has been a bit of a bicyclist in his time), he told me that a road bike would be more suited to biking on the road - imagine that. I've never owned a road bike before but the large skinny wheels were more aerodynamic and lighter, which helps reduce pedal effort and increase overall speed. Hey, sounds great. Where do I sign up? Over there? And it costs $600? For a cheap one? Oh, well then. I'll pass.

Fast forward to this year, my lovely wife comes home from yard-saling with a answer to my road biking needs: A "vintage" Giant RS920 for the I-kid-you-not sum of $3 (if the blog title and website name hadn't tipped you off already). After cleaning the chain, adjusting the brakes, and putting some air in the dry-rotted tires, I took it for a short spin up and down the road (the least amount of hills possible) and wouldn't you know it rides well, shifts well, and fits me perfectly (being a bit short this was very pleasing to me). Chalk it up to fate, or the gods smiling down on me, whatever the case I don't want to waste this opportunity.

In the short term, I see this blog as a motivator to not let my $3 gift go to waste and hold me somewhat accountable for my goals. More generally I'd like to use this as an outlet for different thoughts on life, careers, being cheap, and how they typically all tie together. Stay posted for some updates on everyone's favorite $3 bike.