Anticipating My New Bicycle

Although I love bicycling, I have not done any serious bicycling for several years. In the 1970′s, I was a bicycle commuting pioneer in Portland, Oregon, riding in the morning from my home in SE Portland to classes downtown at Portland State University, then in the afternoon out Sandy Boulevard to my job on NE 82nd Avenue, and finally back home after midnight for a total distance of over 20 miles. During that time I also did some solo tours to the Oregon Coast and the occasional 80-mile ride to Corvallis to visit my friends at Oregon State University.

The closest I’ve been to serious riding since those days was 2006, while I was taking a needed rest from working, when I signed up and began training for an Adventure Cycling tour from Puget Sound to Maine. Employment found me before the trip started, and I had to cancel, putting my life-long dream of a cross-country trip on hold.

I own a used 1980′s model Raleigh road bike that I still ride occasionally, but there are many things about it that dissatisfy me. I don’t like the touring handlebars for riding in the city because I need to keep my head up to watch for cars and other bicyclists. The gearing is not well suited for climbing hills. And the shifters are on the crossbar, not on the handlebars. I have had it in mind for a few years now to buy a modern bicycle.

A year ago, when I was in Florida, I rented a Marin Kentfield for a day to ride on the bicycle path. The frame was too small, but I really enjoyed the shifters, which were mounted near the handle grips, and the range of gears seemed adequate for climbing hills. The Kentfield had straight handlebars and an upright sitting position, and it felt much more nimble and maneuverable than my Raleigh.

I spent the last year reading about the new bicycles, with the thought in mind that I wanted a commuter bike that I could also use for light touring. After dithering for a year, I went to Ace Wheelworks in Somerville yesterday to buy a new bicycle. I had in mind to try four or five models, but I was focused on the Trek Valencia as the model that had the features I desired. I was very interested in the Valencia because of a series of reviews by Bike Geek.

The salesperson at Wheelworks was helpful and patient, and he helped guide me to a decision. At first, his recommendations were cautious, and the first model he had me try was a Specialized Globe Vienna Deluxe 1. This model comes stock with fenders, rack, and light, and it was easy to ride. This model is designed for commuting up to five miles, and I could tell that it would become increasing uncomfortable on longer rides.

The second model was a Trek Soho, which has a Shimano 8-speed internally geared rear hub and belt drive. This is an ideal commuter bike because it doesn’t require the maintenance that derailleurs and a chain require. However, I didn’t think the range of gears, especially the lowest gear, would be suitable for light touring.

The third model I tried was a Trek Soho 3.0. This is a hybrid bike with a frame that was probably too small for me, but it felt zippy and nimble, with excellent brakes. I was very tempted by this model, but I would have wanted to try a larger frame size.

Finally, I tried the Trek Valencia. I like this model because it comes with disc brakes, which would be ideal for light touring, and it has fender and rack mounts. The Valencia is almost identical to the Soho 3, sharing most of the same parts, except for the disc brakes. The only model they had on the floor was the 20″ frame, which the salesperson thought would be too big for me, but that turned out to be a good size. Shifting was very smooth, and the disc brakes were very effective.

In the end, I purchased the Trek Valencia, which cost $680. I knew ahead of time that I was going to spend a couple hundred dollars on accessories. I added Planet 700c hybrid fenders, a Blackburn EX-1 rear rack, Blackburn Voyager 3.3/Mars 1.0 LED headlight and taillight combo, water bottle cage, Topeak Peak Master DX pump, and a Jandd Commuter Pannier, for a total cost of $906.73 plus sales tax.

I pick up the new bike this afternoon. Watch for reviews.