My Bikes

Each one of my bikes, both past & present, holds a special place in my heart.

Louis Garneau:
October 2010 – Present

My Louis Garneau Axis 4.0 is 1 of my most prized possessions & I treat it like he’s my son.  I got this road bike in 2010 at the Fall International Bike Show quite impulsively.  At the time, I’ve gotten into cycling for about 1 bike season & I knew my preference was road riding.

I wanted to get a road bike for the next bike season & had been hunting various bike shops for Fall deals.  I didn’t expect to buy one at the Bike Show, but I did & ended up maxing out my credit card (my account was immediately frozen due to this “unusually ” large expenditure).  But I never looked back.

My Louis Garneau Axis 4.0

My Garneau features Shimano Ultegra rear derailleur; Shimano 105 front derailleur & shift/brake levers; and carbon fork & seat post.  I use this bike for bike tours & cycling events.  I never use it for commuting.  Garneau needs to be with me at all times; I would never lock it anywhere!!  I adore this bike & have no regrets, especially since this is not a common brand.  To date, I have not seen more than 2 Garneau’s on any bike tours!!  I love being unique!

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Supercycle:
April 2010 – Present

Next up is my commuting bike, Supercycle!  When I first started biking in April 2010, I wasn’t sure if I would love it as a hobby & didn’t know what type of cycling I like.  Would I prefer road, trails, mountain??  I decided to purchase an inexpensive bike at Canadian Tire.  I got this hybrid bike for only $199!

This bike got me through my 1st bike season & was used as my transportation to & from the train station for work!  That was until it got vandalized on Oct 2010.  I returned from work one day & there it stood…..a piece of junk metal!!  Some idiot cut up all its housing & cables and even stole my steering cap.  They were probably trying to steal the frame.  My boss generously repaired it for me (free of charge!!).  Supercycle is now back in action!  Now that I have a road bike, I primarily use it for commuting.  I was really paranoid about locking my bike after this traumatic experience & even vowed to never do it again.  But I guess it’s life.  Tragedy happens.  I need to learn & move forward.

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Dahon:
Oct 8, 2010 – Oct 23, 2010

I was a proud owner of a folding bike, Dahon Speed D7, for a “long” period of 2 weeks !  Immediately after my Supercycle got vandalized, I was paranoid to the MAX!  I made a promise to myself to never lock my bike outside ever again!!!  One solution was to get a “Foldie” – I could fold the bike, bring it on the train, bring it up to my office, & store it under my desk.    That was my “a-ha” moment.  Within a week of searching, I scoped out a foldie for $500.

It’s not top-of-the-line, but it’s sufficient as a commuting bike.  I enjoyed using it for a couple of days, until I realized this bike was literally hurting me!!  I had to carry it up several flights of stairs each day & roll it inside my office building.  At 34-lbs, it put a lot of strain on my back & shoulders.  The pedals also kept hitting my leg, giving me bruises everywhere!!!  After 2 weeks, I had to say farewell & return it.  Nonetheless, it was fun while it lasted, especially with strangers coming up to me to ask curious questions about this odd looking bike!!