Homage to My Dearly Departed Commuter Bike

It was a sad Saturday the day I heard an unusual sound from under me. I was turning left off of Hillside onto Shelbourne, riding my trusty commuter bike. It was a Kuwahara Tri-Sport 105, a frameset inherited in 1994 from Graeme. It was thrown together with 105 parts from my first road bike - a 1990 Gardin with Biopace (long since removed). The Gardin met its end in Kingston in 1992 when an eager motorist turned left in front of me. In addition to the parts from the Gardin, I decked it out with 737 clipless pedals from my first Kona (1993) and fenders to survive the Victoria rain.

Through three wheelsets and drivetrains, the Kuwie carried me swiftly and safely from then until now, though winter training rides, commutes to work and school, drunken forays home from parties and pubs, and anything else I threw at it. I would do trials on it outside the Sub at Uvic, back when they had those large concrete steps out front. I ran it down trails many wouldn't consider walking down. Frankly, I kicked the sh*t out of it, and it would simply ask for more. More abuse, more curb-hopping, more slicing and dicing through traffic, please.

Until I heard that clunk. The back tire started rubbing, so I stopped to check it out. Everything seemed fine - I thought the wheel had dislodged from the dropouts, but it was still sitting true between the chainstays. Then I saw it - the seat tube completely disconnected from the bottom bracket. Not simply a crack, but a complete disconnect. I couldn't believe my eyes, and stood there, stunned.



I collected myself, gingerly got back on the bike, and rode home at a leisurely pace as the frame flexed and bowed below me. The ride kind of felt like that time I went with my cat to the vet on the day we put him down. Traffic was light (was there even traffic at all? - I couldn't be sure). I spun along, enjoying the farewell ride.

I have since disassembled the bike, and Straight Up Cycles has kindly recycled the old Kuwie. The other parts are long since obsolete, so no longer will I enjoy the old school downtube shifters, the optional friction shift, and my 7-speed cassette.

On the bright side, I have found a suitable used Canadian-made replacement - a 2004 Devinci Stockholm - to carry me to work and back. And to satisfy my landspeed craving, I broke down and ordered another Canadian bike - a custom-built Marinoni Leggero frameset.

Spring in BC

There is no better place to return to after two months' tropical holiday than British Columbia as it sheds the grey coat of Winter in favour of Spring. As longer and sunnier days prevail (and the rest of Canada braces for another month or two of winter), BC truly starts to shine.

I have been quite lucky to already have travelled to the Okanagan twice in the past month. The last trip was by air, which meant I had an amazing view of the Coast Range and Nicola Valley on both flights. Peaks are still blinding white with snow, while the valleys are an array of green. Kelowna was hot this past weekend, with temperatures to 27 celcius; hoards of people streamed through downtown Kelowna on bike and foot with getting outside being their only goal. Some even braved a swim in the lake (not recommended - yet).
















Victoria is another month ahead of Spring in the Okanagan. The daffodils have long since faded in Beacon Hill Park and the apple trees in our backyard hold onto a few remaining blossoms - you can even see the beginnings of fruit on our trees. Cyclists and runners have been out in shorts since early March, and most gardens have already been planted. Our rows of garden vegetables respond to the recent warm spell by growing at a fevered pace, and our neighbourhood fauna react in turn by keeping our very tasty spinach in check.




And as for me, when the warm spring days set in, my mind wanders to the endless possibilities for weekend adventure BC holds. This coming May long weekend is bursting with options: head to Penticton to ride the Ironman Canada Bike Course with Sarah; climb at Skaha or Squamish; camp and climb near Nanaimo; turn my attention to training for my upcoming half-marathon in Ucluelet; or simply relax in town and at home.