Read or Ride?

I often face a dilemma. And it is a pleasant dilemma to face. Should I ride my bike or take the subway to where I am going?

I actually don’t mind using the subway. I’ve lived all my life in Toronto and am well used to being in crowds. So a crowded subway doesn’t bother me. Ironically, riding the subway is actually a good way for me to get some alone time.  And what I most enjoy doing with this time is reading. Reading on the subway is something I really look forward to. If I forget my book on a subway trip (a very rare occurrence) I am very annoyed.

However, the downside to taking the subway is that there isn’t very much exercise involved; aside from walking to and from the subway, I’m just standing or sitting. So I often have quite a debate in my head before going to a location that I could as easily ride my bike to. I ask myself which I want to do more: read or exercise. Usually the bike riding wins out because I often think that I am not getting enough exercise. Also, I save the cost of two fares—$5.20 in Toronto nowadays. 

What does happen each trip is that is that if I’m riding, I wish I was on the subway reading, and if I’m on the subway, I wish I was riding my bike...

Duct Tape Saddle Repair

My bike’s saddle looks as though I found it in a junk heap somewhere. This is because it is almost entirely covered in duct tape.

The saddle originally came with a soft, porous fabric covering. I don’t recommend saddles with this kind of covering for two reasons: Reason one is the fabric quickly wears through. I remember one time leaning my bike up outside a store and having the store owner laugh at my saddle because a big wad of stuffing was sticking out through a hole. And my saddle wasn’t all that old when this happened. Reason two is seats with soft fabric coverings are great at soaking up rain. Leave your bike outside and return to it after a rain, and you’ll have a wet seat when you ride off. (Of course you can cover your saddle with a plastic bag if you think it might rain, but you might not always remember to do this.) So I think that a hard plastic cover is definitely the way to go.

Rather than replace my seat once the stuffing was coming out, I decided to use the time-honoured technique of using duct tape for repair. After my initial application of duct tape, I got in the habit of occasionally checking my saddle to see if any other places were wearing through. As this has often been the case, my seat is now almost entirely covered in duct tape.

I guess this doesn’t help my bike in the looks department, but I don’t care. Using duct tape saved me the money a new saddle would have cost, and my duct tape–covered seat will make my bike seem less desirable to any bicycle thieves who might be considering taking it.

In fact, I think the worse your bike looks, the better off you are. I like having a lousy-looking bike that rides well and is in good repair.