Customization is part of the fun of owning a bike. If you've read this blog regularly, you may remember me mentioning a certain item that I sorely needed (that is the right word) for many months. Look what I finally did this weekend:
I took a picture of my bike! Lookit!
If you didn't notice it right away, there are not one, but THREE new accessories I added, most notably the back rack:
As seen from the front
I kept my u-lock holder on there just in case I have a full cargo load on the back and am unable to store both on the rack, but primarily it's there as a backup plan. You'll also notice the green water bottle holder, which was number 2 on the accessories list priorities. Number 3 was a bell (not pictured - you all know what a bell looks like, right?). This is turning into a regular ol' commuter bike, eh?
Beyond functionality, they add a nice visual element to the bike, at least I think so. It's also kind of annoying, because these are the sorts of things I feel should be included as stock items on a bike that's designed for city riding. It's not surprising, though. My stepdad once bought a car that didn't include floor mats, my SUV didn't come with splash guards, and so on. Whatever manufacturers can do to squeeze some extra cash out of you...
In any case, I'm looking forward to not having to strap groceries to my front handlebars or overloading my back pack any more. More importantly, having these accessories to install finally gave me the impetus to give the guy a deep cleaning he sorely needed after a somewhat long Winter. Just like a car, salt and slush can wreak havoc on a bike. I don't know about you, but I can tell the difference in that picture above. Cleaned up just in time to venture out in the rain today. Maybe I should have bought a matching set of fenders...
No comments:
Post a Comment