Sadly dear reader, the 600km on June 7-8th ended in defeat. That weekend was too hot and humid and windy. Though I gave it the old college try, I just wasn't acclimated to the heat and had to bail out at mile 141. It wasn't just me apparently, the other six 600km particiants also dropped out. No one made it further 141 miles.
I regret bailing. The cold that I was nursing since Memorial Day came back. I have begun to doubt my stick-to-it-iveness. I wonder if I'm still Ultra Scott, or merely plain old Scott. I'm in a funk, sort of like Ricky Bobby after he crashed.
Enough wallowing in self-pity. Because I'm a "bike guy" people often ask me about bikes for transportation and commuting. Everybody wants something reliable and comfortable, but no one wants to spend more than $200. I'm no bike snob. I don't tell the neophyte they have to have a Vanilla or a Seven if they want to "truly enjoy their biking experience." I see enough high-end bikes on Craigslist with "5 minutes" ride time as it is. I understand the appeal of utilitarian transport. But really, it's not the 70's anymore. For better or worse, commuting bikes are going to cost more than $200 if you want to buy new from a bike shop. The problem is neatly summarized by this post I stumbled across on Commute by Bike . Thanks Rick, it's harsh but rings true to me:
Honestly I don’t understand why cost keep coming up as a major hinderance to getting more people on bikes. It’s not the cost! It’s peoples priorities. Flat panel televisions are selling in record numbers, XBox 360s and Playstation 3s sell for more than what you can buy a quality bike for, gas prices keep going up, the cost of driving a car continually rises. The cost of even a $750 bike pales in comparison to the yearly cost of commutting by bus or train. A montlhy bus pass where I live is around $90. It has nothing to do with whether employers supply a shower facility either. Do all the people that go for runs during their lunch hour have a shower at work when they get back?
It’s about peoples will and desire. The diet industry is worth billions of $$ a year. I’ll bet it cost more to join Jenny Craig than it does to make a VISA payment on a $1000 bike. Where there is a will there is a way. There just is no will. North Americans aren’t fat asses by accident. There are plenty of choices available to the consumer right now. Any quality mountain bike with lights, a rack, some panniers and slick tires will do the job more than adequately. We need to stop waiting for the manufacturers to build the perfect bike. We have literally dozens of bikes that will do the job available now.
Bikes are inexpensive!! People are lazy.
Amen, brother!
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