Got a new bike!

I was up early today as I had to do something for my youngest sister and hat to meet her at 8 AM. So I decided to, while I’m out, also use the long day in front of me to pay the bills and also go bike shopping, something I’ve been contemplating for a while. Ideally I wanted to find one that is really cheap yet of fairly good quality. After roaming around the city and various centres I eventually decided to get one which is apparently, at least in the words of the salesman, “a good bike at a low price”. This sounds pretty plausible for me since I know that in many areas there usually are products which fill that sweet spot between “cheap and bad” and “too expensive yet great quality” in that it is fairly good quality yet close to cheap. My Logitech X230 speakers are an excellent example - cheap and incredibly good sounding. I still just love them!

So I got it. I paid more than I originally intended but it seemed reasonable. Better to go one level up from “the cheapest” and enjoy better quality and easier maintenance than pay dirt cheap and keep being on my toes about it. The bike is awesome, the ride is smooth, totally quiet - feels like driving a brand new car - there’s no clamping or weird noises whatsoever. Changing gears is also very smooth and easy. Overall I feel quite satisfied with it and am looking forward to at some point further equip it with lights, bells etc., especially if I end up driving it often.

Why the bike? Well as part of the self improvement initiative I’ve been pushing lately I started paying more attention to the physical aspect. In addition to trying to make exercise every day a habit, at least in a basic sense, bike is an excellent way to do exercise in a fun and enjoyable way - plus I actually get out more and I also get to skip the buses and trams and traffic jams. As spring and then summer comes, it ought to be a great ride - I can only see advantages. And as Brian Kim says (not being the only one), better physical health means better mental health, which is what I need to keep working enthusiastically on my main goals and with my main occupation here on the internet.

There is one negative which I currently perceive though, and in full honestly feel a little bit intimidated. Apparently the statistics show that cyclists are the most endangered in traffic and that many people end up quite fatally in various accidents. Reading BicycleSafe.com there appear to be so many various ways you could get in trouble on a bicycle, some of which seem barely predictable. So it does seem like cycling means assuming a bit higher level of risk comparing to just staying relatively safe walking and taking buses/trams.

On the other hand the popularity of cycling seems to be increasing and the special cycling tracks seem to be a new standard in building new or modernizing existing roads - where cyclists now get to have their own space. And the benefits of cycling as too good to be turned down. I suppose I’ll just have to learn to stay safe. Good thing about bicycles is that you can ride them down alternative routes, through less crowded and trafficked places allowing to generally stay out of harms way - avoiding even the very situation of there being a potential of accident caused by a moment of carelessness..

And to add a more significant point to this diatribe I think cycling should really be widely promoted all over as an alternative to car driving. People should ask themselves whether the costs of driving and maintaining a car is really worth it? Some have two cars in the family? Is it really necessary? Bikes are so much less of a burden on both your financials and the environment, and are healthy too.

Final point. The more bicycles on the road - the safer they will have to become for cyclists and the more environment friendly too. Less cars, more bikes, everyone wins.

Cheers

Tags: Personal