Mila the Commuter Bike

Gas prices, global warming, and the economic/mortgage crisis have pushed bike commuting closer to mainstream acceptance. Manufacturers have jumped all over this trend unleashing a blitz of Commuters, Fixies, and Cruizers. Walk into most shops and you will find slick designs that are legitimately lust-worthy. A true working man’s (person’s) bike however, should be anything but desirable. At least on the surface.     

While I can’t say that I learned this lesson the hard-way, I was basically expecting my commuter to get stolen. But walking home after working 13 hours on a Saturday taking care of Tucson’s sickest kids still felt like a bit of a slap in the face.

I built up my old commuter bike while I was in Med School back in Nashville. My commute was fairly long and hilly. I also had a fairly safe place to lock up my bike. So I found a reasonable closeout cyclocross frame, threw on some Ebaycomponents, and finished it off with an abused but fairly decent wheelsetthat I had sitting around. Aside from the brakes that basically didn’t work (I used V-brakes withroad levers without the problem solver things that increase the cable pull), and a head set that required a fair amount of play for the steering not to be sticky, it served its purpose well and was well worth the investment.

But when I moved to Tucson to start residency I knew the bike was a little too nice. Tucson is a well known cycling hotspot. It is one of 6 cities to be awarded Goldstatus by the League of American Bicyclists. Unfortunately, the popularity of stealing bikes seems to be just as high as riding them. Depsite the effort to crack down on bicycle theft Tucson still ranks 5th in the nation for worst bike theft.And thefts around UMC are a particular problem. So when I got out after dark one Saturday I half-expected my bike to be gone. Sure enough, it was.

I don’t really have the energy to launch an effort to hunt down the thief. So I’m not offering a reward or looking for leads.

Instead I just want to introduce my new commuter, Mila. She is a 1970s Fuji “Special Racer.” Seriously, it says special racer on the down tube. She’s basically perfect for my new commutes. Mainly because she’s old, looks beaten up, and only cost me $75. The lugged steel frame and fat tires do go along way to smooth out the rough patches of road. And, aside from the bar tape and tires the components are completely original and still function reasonably well.

The one problem with the “new” ride is the weight. These old things are incredibly heavy. So its a good thing that central Tucson is almost completely flat. And on the upside my road bike suddenly feels a lot lighter.

This introduction begins the story of Mila the Commuter Bike.

p.s. If you happen to find a great deal on a used Redline cyclocross bike two words of advice. One, initiate braking way earlier than you think you need to. Otherwise you will find yourself squeezing the levers into the bar tape as you fail to stop for the ________ (stop light, turn, car that pulled out in front of you etc.)
Two, watch your speed on the downhills. The slop in the headset causes the bike to shimmy a bit as the speed picks up wich combined with the brake thing can lead to some interesting experiences.