relying on two wheels.

sunday, march 10th, 2024.

We have a fifteen year old Subaru Forester (lovingly, the "Subuwu") that's sitting in the shop with a coolant leak likely due to a head gasket that needs a replacement. Not sure how long it'll be there and what the total bill will be when it's all said and done, but the short of it is that I'll be relying on my bicycle for transportation next week. The weather is supposed to be rather nice all week, so I'm not complaining!

I needed to do some much-needed drivetrain degreasing and lubrication, plus my front derailleur needed some adjustment, so I went ahead and took care of all that this weekend. If I'm going to be relying on this bike for my transportation, I need to make sure it's in good working order, after all.

It's a bit of a financial bummer— on one hand, I very recently got a nice bonus at work. On the other, this little bit of car maintenance and the upcoming six-month car insurance premium are gonna eat away a good chunk of it.

We recently did a tour of the local bike shops seeing if we could arrange for some mechanics to come out to a bike event that the city is gonna put on this Spring. Good news is that it's likely that at least one of the shops will send some folks out. But, while I was out, my gaze fell upon a really nice two-seater class 2 electric bike.

My partner's been after a bike and I could use a back-up for the inevitable mechanical failure and downtime my acoustic bike will run into, so I'm really thinkin' about getting this bike hard. Plus, it's got two seats, so the little one could ride on the back to school with my partner.

I'm still gonna get the Subuwu repaired and pay the insurance note, but this snazzy utility bike would probably cost about the same as both. Perhaps we'll eventually find ourselves going car-lite. Alas— we still live in a town that is heavily car-dependent, so going without entirely would be a colossal hindrance.

Anyway, that's quite enough pining for an electric bicycle! That'll happen in due time, I'm sure. For now, my bike seems to be in working order and I'm ready for the commutes ahead!

Until next time, be well. :)