The Space Horse Lands
The Space Horse Lands
Still on Two Wheels
Everybody needs a hobby. Or two. Although an Electra Beach Cruiser has been in the garage for over 10 years, and the commuting method of choice when I was working (run screaming from the room), this pandemic life found me searching for both more entertainment and more exercise.
I'd been toying with the idea of a more "serious" bike for several years; Tucson has The Loop, a 100 mile bike path circumnavigating the city, with an entrance conveniently located about a mile from the house. Like so many around the world, a bicycle seemed like a perfect choice to get safely outside and still enjoy an active life.
There are a dizzying array of bicycle choices today, and most of the shops here in town are performance oriented, steering you toward light, fast (incredibly uncomfortable) road bikes ready for the Tour de France or gnarly mountain bikes, just add your own dirt. And they are most often staffed by surfer dudes named Bodhi or Chase. My previous shopping forays always left me, shall we say, frustrated.
But this time, I made the decision and did the research. Found a local shop that caters to "practical" bikes, owned and staffed by adults, Transit Cycles, in the Mercado district, just feet away from our favorite bar, Westbound. Why that's important, I don't know, but it is.
Here was the thought process and research in a nutshell: my target was road riding, 20-30 miles/ride, 3-4x/week, and comfort, not speed, prioritized. Something "light-ish," but again, saving grams is not the priority. Had to have a smooth ride because the pavement here in Tucson is that in name only.
And pretty, I like pretty.
All this led to two finalists: the Salsa Journeyman and the All City Space Horse. The Journeyman is more "high tech," aluminum frame, carbon fork. The Space Horse more "retro," steel frame, custom lugs, beautiful paint. As I learned, steel has a particular feel, and a very smooth ride, difficult to emulate with any other material. Both weigh about the same, 24 pounds.
The marketing glamour shots:
Journeyman:
Space Horse:
No contest, right? I did put 700c x 44mm tan walls on it for even more comfort and retro. Tubeless, though, with sealant because Tucson = Thorns.
Could not be happier, and am really impressed with the smooth ride. Picked it up Thursday and did two rides on The Loop, the first 16.6 and today's 19.8 miles, not bad for just starting out. The bars might have to come up and back just a bit, my neck is a little sore, but not much, and seems to be getting better with each ride. Nothing else hurts, which is pretty remarkable, really.
As with all things two-wheeled: Let the Farkling Begin!
Still on Two Wheels
Everybody needs a hobby. Or two. Although an Electra Beach Cruiser has been in the garage for over 10 years, and the commuting method of choice when I was working (run screaming from the room), this pandemic life found me searching for both more entertainment and more exercise.
I'd been toying with the idea of a more "serious" bike for several years; Tucson has The Loop, a 100 mile bike path circumnavigating the city, with an entrance conveniently located about a mile from the house. Like so many around the world, a bicycle seemed like a perfect choice to get safely outside and still enjoy an active life.
There are a dizzying array of bicycle choices today, and most of the shops here in town are performance oriented, steering you toward light, fast (incredibly uncomfortable) road bikes ready for the Tour de France or gnarly mountain bikes, just add your own dirt. And they are most often staffed by surfer dudes named Bodhi or Chase. My previous shopping forays always left me, shall we say, frustrated.
But this time, I made the decision and did the research. Found a local shop that caters to "practical" bikes, owned and staffed by adults, Transit Cycles, in the Mercado district, just feet away from our favorite bar, Westbound. Why that's important, I don't know, but it is.
Here was the thought process and research in a nutshell: my target was road riding, 20-30 miles/ride, 3-4x/week, and comfort, not speed, prioritized. Something "light-ish," but again, saving grams is not the priority. Had to have a smooth ride because the pavement here in Tucson is that in name only.
And pretty, I like pretty.
All this led to two finalists: the Salsa Journeyman and the All City Space Horse. The Journeyman is more "high tech," aluminum frame, carbon fork. The Space Horse more "retro," steel frame, custom lugs, beautiful paint. As I learned, steel has a particular feel, and a very smooth ride, difficult to emulate with any other material. Both weigh about the same, 24 pounds.
The marketing glamour shots:
Journeyman:
Space Horse:
No contest, right? I did put 700c x 44mm tan walls on it for even more comfort and retro. Tubeless, though, with sealant because Tucson = Thorns.
Could not be happier, and am really impressed with the smooth ride. Picked it up Thursday and did two rides on The Loop, the first 16.6 and today's 19.8 miles, not bad for just starting out. The bars might have to come up and back just a bit, my neck is a little sore, but not much, and seems to be getting better with each ride. Nothing else hurts, which is pretty remarkable, really.
As with all things two-wheeled: Let the Farkling Begin!
