A Classic

A few weeks back, I fixed a friend's old Huffy road bike that was giving her a little trouble. She is new to cycling and someone had given her the bike so she didn't have to invest anything into a new hobby. As I got my hands greasy on this old, generic ten speed, I was amazed at how rock solid it was.

This was a cheapo bike when it was made (I'd guess at least 25 years ago), yet it can still be tuned to perfection. It's the heavy steel components and frame that make it indestructible. There is very little plastic on the bike. And with some know-how and very little time, it can always be set back to its original form.

I'm not one to complain about the weight of a bike. Most of my riding is loaded down with panniers full of stuff, anyway. But I did notice this bike was heavy. Not crazy heavy, though. In all honesty, I'd trade gram-counting for this tank any day. When you have an indestructible bike, you'll ride more. And riding more means smiling more. And smiling is a good thing.

Sometimes I think I'd like to buy an old, old bike and restore it. But my Surly frames have the same personality and ruggedness. They do the job with a bit more finesse, too. And the real problem is that my garage is already full of bikes. There's not really room for more.

Get out there.