BIKE: Touring Bike or Recumbent for commute?

[David Dobbs]

A good question with undoubtedly a number of well-reason answers.  Here's mine.

Personally I think the hybrid bike, a cross between a mountain bike 
and a road bike, is ideal for Austin commuting.  On roads, trails, 
sidewalks or even over somewhat rough ground these bikes can get 
around.  Since August of 2001 I've ridden nearly 5000 miles on a Trek 
7200 that has 700 cc wheels and shocks in the front and under the 
seat.  With a back rack, a large (15 LED) tail lamp, an EL 300 Cateye 
five LED head lamp, heavy duty Kevlar tires with Teflon liners and a 
U-lock, it weighs in at just under 40 pounds, a bit heavy perhaps, 
but it's for commuting not racing and function comes first.  I have a 
grocery bag panier and bunge cords and do most of my traveling and 
most of my shopping with it.  Right now I am averaging 50 to 60 miles 
a week.  I live eight miles from center city and my car mostly sits 
averaging about 3500 miles a year, mostly in taxing my granddaughter 
to swimming practice and then to school.

Prior to the Trek, I had a cheap mountain bike and found the riding 
position very hard on my 60 year old arms.  I call my 7200 a grandpa 
bike because it's much easier on old bones than what I had before.

Specialized makes a similar bike called the "Crossroads" outfitted 
with a variety of different components in six different models that 
are priced accordingly.  All of these have the very tough 
Specialized Kevlar tires, and for that and other reasons I think the 
Specialized is a better value for the money.  It wasn't available 
when I bought my Trek in 2001.

See 
http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkFamily.jsp?sid=05Crossroads&JServSessi 
onIdroot=83idw1mus2.j27009

Dave Dobbs
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Texas Association for Public Transportation
9702 Swansons Ranch Road
Austin, Texas 78748
Ph 512.282.1149

Visit our website at  http://www.lightrailnow.org
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

>Time for another stupid question:
>	Which is better for commuting in hot, humid Austin - a 
>standard touring bike or a recumbent?  In particular, would a 
>recumbent's seat back get your back hot and sweaty like a backpack 
>or do they ventilate OK?  I guess the particular seat design would 
>make a difference.  I know Lane loves his new Trek 520.  I hope it 
>survived the accident OK.
>	The reason I ask is that my old mountain bike needs a lot of 
>work and I just turned 40 so maybe a birthday gift of a new bike is 
>in order.
>	Thanks.
>	John
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
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