Buddy Back to Work

Well, I'm done riding the road bike to work for the year. During the HHH, it showed signs of the miles I've been putting on it. The computer battery pooped out, showing I only went 68.9 miles. It's past due to check the chain wear, and the rear derailleur pulleys picked up a horrible squeaking noise lately, which goes away whenever I move the shifter a bit. Anyway, it's time for a little TLC for the road bike. That means it's time for Buddy to start earning its keep again - I only rode the Tricross three times since June 8th - when the road bike had a flat.

I have made a few changes to Buddy for the shortening days. Mainly, I added a water bottle holder and a "be seen " blinky headlight in addition to the "see" headlight. Conveniently enough, all Cateye "Opticube" headlights use a common mount so I have the option of using two "see" lights as well. I also discovered that I could mount the Planet Bike Superflash on my seatstay if I left off the rubber "nonslip" piece. I'll use it in flash mode along with my Cateye TL-LD500-R primary rear light, which I'll run in steady mode. I like the Cateye better than the PB because it incorporates a full CPSC reflector (not as good as an SAE reflector - see details here or here), as well as the light. As a result, even if it should fail, I'll still have good visibility to any motorist coming from the rear with headlights on.

The first "almost Fall" ride on Buddy brought back just how comfy the Tricross is for fast, long distance commuting. The 28c Conti tires are a nice balance and, while it isn't quite as fast as the road bike, it FEELS smooth, fast, and solid. A nice combo on a commuter.