Becoming a commuter’s bike… but first things first. I wanted to experiment how the ride feels. To do so I joined up with my two best bike buddies for a MTB tour up to the Mummelsee. It’s right below the highest mountain in the Northern Black Forest – the Hornisgrinde. Our tour started in the rhine plain at ~ 145m (above sea level) to rise up to the Mummelsee at ~ 1.030 m. Epic!! I was astonished how much a bike this age can do. Yet to admit: Downhill I learned what you would describe as fading brakes 🙂 You don’t stop – you just slow down. Anticipate!
So to the end of the year the bike was transformed to it’s designated purpose: Commuting. I had changed from taking the car the 30km from where I live to work to taking the public transportation. In this case the train. Yet it took about the same time to commute from the main station to my work place, than actually getting there from my home. So I stored the bike at the main station to commute the last few miles with it. The “parking lot” they offer there is incredible! Costing you 8.50€ a month you have dry place which is under video surveillance and 24/7 accessible. That’s how you make changing your mode of transportation interesting. Way to go!
Eventually I also had to admit a commuter bike needs fenders. No choice, no other option! I had started to commute the last mile by bike in winter. In commuting there is no cool without fenders 😉 My choice for good quality and looks in terms of fenders have been SKS. In this case the Bluemels 26” at 60mm width in glossy black.
For about a year this setup allowed me getting used to riding the bike in *ALL* weather conditions. I was extremely happy getting outside every day. Moving, fresh air and enjoying the chilled bike ride every day. Then the pandemic (Covid-19) hit us all and there was no commuting anymore. We all started getting used to Home Office and working in virtual teams. I brought the packhorse back home and hung it up on the wall again. I’ll continue next post about the most recent re-invention of it.
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