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| Sun "Atlas" Cargo Bike |
Mrs. Guitar Ted was out of town visiting a friend, and so I had to be "Mr. Mom" for the day until our good family friend came over and took the kids to a movie. My turn to get a quick bicycle ride in, right? Not so fast......
I actually had decided that this weekend was my very last chance to get something done that I had been putting off consistently since last summer. The sidewalk leading out from the house had "decayed" just a bit, and that issue wasn't going away. In fact, it actually had been kind of gnawing away at me of late. So, I was motivated by that and the fact that outdoors construction projects were going to be a bad idea in a matter of days.
So, I played with some cement during the afternoon. Fortunately I have plenty of previous experience with cement and my helping out with the Northfield Criterium over the 4th of July weekend had provided a bit of a refresher course in patching with Qwikrete. Job done, I cleaned up just as my kids got back from the movies.
Well, I was going to make some home-made pizza for us, so I needed a bit more shredded cheese. I decided to let the kids know I'd be gone for a little bit, then I grabbed my Xtracycled Schwinn Sierra, and I pedaled off to the convenience store.
I was waiting to pay at the counter when I excused myself and made way for an employee to walk through. She was a cute young woman, and well......that was that, I figured. I walked out with my purchase and here she was standing by my bicycle. She was unsuccessfully trying to light up a cigarette, and I met her eyes and said hello.
She could have just went on flicking that Bic, but instead she dropped her arms and said, "Is that your bike? Did you make that?" I explained that it was a kit bolted to a standard mountain bike. She asked me if someone could ride "back there", and I said yes. Then she said "That's a really smart bike."
I was chuffed.
Well, as I rode home, I thought about the ol' Schwinn and I have been contemplating the upgrade. It could be the bike in the image above. That Atlas has a lot going for it. 4130 CroMo frame, 48 spoke rear/36 spoke frt wheels with 38mm wide rims. (!!) The back is compatible with Xtracycle bags too. However; the components are pretty cheesy. I could just ride them into the ground, and upgrade later though, so maybe.......
Hard to beat a Big Dummy though. Either way.....they are really smart bikes, aren't they?
4 comments:
She was obviously asking for a ride.
@J-No: That thought had crossed my mind at the time, but she was on break, and outside since she couldn't smoke indoors. So, I don't think that was the case, but she obviously was thinking about a ride on a bike like that.
I think that Big Dummy's the smartest; well, it the smartest in my stable.
Love my BD and all the things it can do. The Mrs and I cruised around a local holiday light display tonight, with her on the back. Still getting the seating position dialed in on mine. Yuba has some nice cargo bikes as well.
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