Unlike a road bike that allows me to lean into the corners, this configuration requires that I steer around corners. Handlebar configuration: I adapted quickly to the “wheelbarrow” sensation. Sweet Hubs has commented on how comfortable I look when I ride. I feel very heads-up and I’m able to make good eye contact with drivers, pedestrians, and other bicyclists. There is something about stepping on (instead of hoisting my leg in the air) and pedaling away in that very upright posture that absolutely makes me feel like a kid again.Īt the same time I can see everything around me without craning my neck uncomfortably to peer out from under my helmet. I got the bike in the medium size (I’m 5’6-1/2″) and still grin every day I ride it. I pedaled the bike up a little steep hill (abundantly available in Seattle for test rides), using the lowest gear, and decided this could be the one. My initial reaction to the very different “mustache” handlebar set-up was that I was steering a wheelbarrow, but then I realized I was grinning. What the heck–why not take it for a little road test? Then we moved to Seattle, I made the rounds of a few local bike shops, and there it stood: the aluminum-frame Specialized Globe Daily 2, looking classic in a brushed-silver finish. I test-rode a PUBLIC Bike but it was really heavy (they’re all steel). Since computers aren’t leaving my life any time soon, a change to my bike routine seemed like a good idea.Īnother chance to ride a couple of more upright commuters–the Breezer Uptown Infinity and the Trek FX–reinforced the desire to have one of my very own, although I had distinct concerns about getting one that didn’t have the number of gears I was used to having at my disposal. With Sweet Hubs’ help we tweaked my handlebars up and up with a couple of extenders that helped–but did not eliminate–the feeling. And years of crouching over the handlebars of a road bike coupled with tons of computer time left me with a burning sensation across my shoulders.
The chance to ride an upright bike a couple of years ago piqued my interest in making a switch for commuting. While I’ve gotten pretty good at the discreet dismount I wouldn’t mind a slightly more graceful maneuver. My adjustments to shopping habits to acquire a bike-friendly wardrobe didn’t do away with my desire for a step-through model, though. I loved the nimble navigating I could do on that road bike. Granted, this situation doesn’t occur too often but I want to be ready for it when it does (and it does). First and foremost, it has to pass the staircase test: I have to be able to carry the bike up a flight of stairs with all the gear on it. This set me up with some high expectations for a commuter bike. Then I met Sweet Hubs, who got me onto a Specialized Dolce–a lightweight road-biking dream at around 18 pounds before I added racks/gear–and I commuted on that for the past 5 years. These bikes probably weighed a good 45 pounds apiece before adding racks and gear. My bike commuting started on a big-box “Iron Maiden” pseudo-mountain bike, replaced with a similar one when #1 was stolen. Step-through design and upright riding posture make it a delight! The Specialized Globe Daily 2 is my bike-about-town ride these days.
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