Back to Biking

Our Bikes ~

2-13-2023 Smokey at Lake Manawa
Cannondale Adventure EQ

In of December 2021, I switched bikes again.  This time, after test riding a Cannondale at the Bike Rack in Omaha.  (I wish I'd been more diligent as I shopped for a bike last time.)  I ended up flying to Seattle to find the Adventure in the small size I needed & the EQ model I wanted.  It was built by Gregg's Cycles in Greenlake, then dismantled just enough to box.  Once home, Butch made short work of putting it back together.  I rode this bike just over 800-miles in 2022 & hope to enjoy the ride for years to come!

2-23-2023 Butch's - Cannondale Adventure 1

After a short ride on my Cannondale, March of 2022 we went shopping again & came home with an Adventure 1 (Medium)  for Butch.  He added aftermarket fenders & has yet to install his black Sunlite rear rack.  He's found the bike to be as totally easy & comfortable to ride as I do.

Gear ~

Tire liners - have worked well for us for many years.  We're tried Tannus liners in the tires of our Trek Verves.  They seemed to do the job, but since both bikes have been sold we have no further insight as to how long they will do the job.

Seats - after buying & using Serfas saddles on the Trek bikes, we were happy to discover the seat that came standard with the Cannondales is very comfortable.

Rear Rack - Sunlite Gold Tec Disc are sturdy & well made.  Easy to install, they'll carry panniers for longer rides.

Pedals - I like the grip of Shimano EF 202 pedals.  I ordered mine in silver. They give just the right amount of traction, without pegs.

Handlebar Bags - Road Runner, Made in America bags.

Rear Rack Bags - Ramace - insulated bags with a bottle holder. 

Hitch Rack - After a lot of comparison shopping, Butch decided on the Yakima OnRamp Hitch Rack.

_________________

 History~

2013, we purchased our first bikes.  Skagit Valley Cycle in Mt. Vernon, WA carried Electra's.  We planned to do recreational rail/trail riding.  They are the most comfortable bike out there, with patented flat-foot technology that puts the pedals slightly ahead of the seat.  I started out with a Townie 3i & Butch with a Cruiser 7d.  The bikes went camping with us & riding with the Grand-kids was so much fun! 

3-23-2013 Butch, Centennial Trail, WA State

April of 2019 was the first time since our move to IA we'd taken the bikes out for a ride.  We drove to the Wabash Trace Trailhead in Mineola.  Riding on crushed Limestone was different from the easier paved trails we'd enjoyed in WA.

4-21-2019 My Townie 3i & Butch's Cruiser

In 2020, I was looking for an enjoyable way to keep fit without going to the gym.  (After almost 30-years of riding horses, I longed for the trail time I was missing.)  Both bikes had been stored for years & hardly ever used. 

My first ride on my own, I again drove to the Wabash Trace Nature Trail.  True to form, I took on more than I should have & rode 17-miles.  Sunny, my 3i really gave me a workout.  I quickly decided a few more gears would be nice, if I planned on riding this trail very often.   

4-1-2020 Sunny, 2013 Electra Townie 3i

We went window shopping to see what bikes might be available & came home with Speedy, an Electra Townie 7D.  Now, we'd both have bikes with 7-gears.  Butch rode with me on occasional weekends.  By September 4th, I'd ridden over 540-miles.  

4-15-2021 Speedy 2020 Electra Townie 7D

A horse riding injury in WA state that same month, sidelined me from my bike - until March 6th of 2021.   

I was determined to get back to biking & managed my first ride March 6th.  It was a great feeling to be back on the trail.  I couldn't have ridden so soon, if not for Speedy's forward pedal position.  As my healing progressed, going into April, I was riding more miles on the trail.  I was also riding with a good friend, who had a Trek Marlin.  With more gears, she seemed to exert less effort, as I was gamely pedaling forward.  She mentioned riding smarter, not harder.  I could see the truth in her words.

When I'd purchased Speedy in 2020, I'd told myself I would ride the bike for a year before making any further changes.  A year was up.  Butch & I had been riding several times too.  Grinding up hills wasn't fun on longer rides.  

Both of us decided hybrid bike's might be the answer.  They offer the upright riding position we both like, while giving us enough gears to make longer rides more fun.  We started shopping & by early May of 2021, purchased new bikes.

 2021 Trek Verve 3 Disc Lowstep~

November of 2021, after just over 600 miles, I realized riding the Verve 3 was no fun at all.  I'd made excuses for why it wasn't working, but Butch made me realize it wasn't.  It was extremely difficult to get on & off of.  The space between the seat & handlebars was tight.  The small frame felt too big for me. The pedals were more under the seat & the upright seat post kept me from effectively using my legs.  Luckily, it sold just a few weeks after I posted it for sale. 

Butch's 2021 Trek Verve 2 Disc~

Butch liked the gearing on his Verve 2 but had experienced some of the same difficulties with the upright seat post.  We originally thought we'd adjust & blamed our difficulties on being used to the comfortable Electra's.  Bottom line was - neither bike was working for us.  We tried changing the seats, we changed the gearing on my bike etc., but nothing made them a comfortable ride for either of us.  This bike too, sold quickly!

These days, we're both enjoying the Cannondale Adventure bikes & are happy to have found bikes that work!

__________________________________________

Electric Bikes ~

Points to consider -

In every shop we visited, the salespeople tried to talk us into Electric Assist bikes.  Most stores were fully stocked & the prices are upwards into the thousands.  The people who've bought them, like to say they never use the assist - except on hills.  Maybe that's true, but with weights of 50 lbs. or more, they would take a lot more effort to just pedal on a flat surface...  If the bike is "On", the assist is engaged.  The average bike rack will not safely hold 2 bikes of over 50 lbs. each.  Be prepared to buy a stronger rack.  

Batteries mounted to the rear of the bike, tend to make it less stable, a center mounted battery gives a more balanced ride.  Some of these bikes look like monsters to me!  Far from sleek & fast, they are heavy & less nimble.  Yes, you can go fast, very fast, probably too fast to safely travel on trails where the speed limit is usually limited to 15-mph.  

The time may come, but currently, I'm not a fan.  It will be interesting in the next few years to see how they hold up & what changes in the design are made.