tiny ironies

One of life's little ironies: I bought a new bike in March of 2011, primarily because it would accept off-the-shelf studded snow tires. Ten months later, I have not had need for those tires. The bike is out of service for the nonce, as its rear rim has some cracks at the spoke nipple holes (new wheel coming from Specialized, due to arrive next week).

My bike miles total since the start of the year has already exceeded my January 2010 mileage. I was living in the rental house at that time, griping about cold weather that I've since found I could tolerate more easily than I thought at the time, and thinking about using the TARC Bikes on Board program to lessen my weather exposure a bit.

Now, I'm thinking more and more about getting a velomobile for much of my transportation. I have read of folks who, once they got one, all but abandoned their bicycles as utility vehicles. I honestly don't know how I'd go on that--I like to think I'd still ride two-wheels a fair bit for fun and utility, but I can also see myself choosing the velomobile on a daily basis as a default mode, just as I found myself doing with the new bike this year (result: new upright bike got three hundred miles more use than the long-cherished Vanguard).

With that new bike, much of the increase in use over the Vanguard was that the new bike has brakes that are MUCH nicer. Some of the difference had to do with anticipated parking places--I can comfortably lock the new bike places I am less comfortable locking the Vanguard. Some of it was that I was using my bike as a teaching tool, and I figure that students will find it easier to relate to a bike more like their own than my recumbent. Some of this feels like rationalizing not riding a favorite bike, as if I was somehow betraying the Vanguard or something within myself by riding the Globe.

In the end, though, it comes down to one of the lines on that old list of "Why bicycles are better than women" (see also: Why bicycles are better than men): the bike doesn't care if I ride other bikes.