The Story of the Black Knight - or How to Choose a Bicycle

6/11/14, Weight 255, 53 pounds lost since 8/30/11
Will ride tonight

My current bike is a Giant Escape 2. I call it the Black Knight.

It may seem odd for a 61 year old guy to spend time extolling the virtues of a bicycle, but think about it. Bicycling is one of the best health-maintaining aerobic exercises there is. Riding a bike substantially improves health and increases quality of life for everyone who does it consistently, especially people that have built a lifestyle around it. I have bicycled for over 40 years and dare to say that my level of health, although not perfect, compares very favorably to my peers. My major health issue is weight control, but because of bicycling I have numbers (Glucose, Cholesterol, Triglycerides, BP, etc.) that are under control, and great mobility. Also, I am on no medications. I could do a better job of controlling my eating, but because of a 40+ year lifestyle of aerobic exercise through cycling, I enjoy great health even though I carry around a spare tire. Therefore my bike is very important to me.

So, since us guys are always fascinated with tech and machines, it shouldn't be unusual that guys like me talk about our bikes. The same way other guys talk about their cars, or watches, or fishing equipment. We like gadgets. My gadget happens to be my bicycle.

My bike, the aforementioned Giant Escape 2, is the most carefully chosen bicycle I have ever owned. It retails for $420.00 at any Giant dealership. I actually traded an older, more expensive bike for mine – but that's a little later in this narrative. $420 for a high-quality bike these days is absolutely dirt cheap. But even relatively inexpensive bikes from name-brand manufacturers are very nice – modern, lightweight, strong and nimble.

I chose my bike specifically for its intended purpose. My riding purpose and style are summed up in two words: Fitness and Utilitarian. Fitness (and Health)? Self explanatory. Utilitarian? I wanted a bike I could ride to Walgreens to pick up stuff, or to a local restaurant for lunch, or even to commute to work. That's utilitarian. I envision using my bicycle for basic transportation, unless the destination is too far away or something like that.

So when I started looking for a bike 2 years ago, I wanted a machine that fit specifically into my purpose for riding. Therefore, I did not choose a bike intended for racing, with its aerodynamic drop-bar aggressive riding position. Although those machines are cool, with the high-tech carbon fiber and ultra-modern shifting, one of these would not be appropriate for what I want to accomplish. A mountain bike would be a poor choice for me, also. I rarely, if ever, ride off road, and all the extras on a mountain bike (suspension, big fat tires, etc.) would be just extra weight for me to pull around.

Every large manufacturer has a classification called "Urban" for the style of bike I was after. Trek has 7 or 8 "Urban" models available, as does Giant, Cannondale, and many other makers. These bikes generally are lightweight, give the rider a nice upright seating position, have the ability to carry cargo, and are rugged enough for utilitarian use.

When I started looking through the Urban bikes, the first thing I thought about was availability; I didn't want to choose a model that would not be available locally. So, I limited my choice to Trek, Giant or Cannondale because a couple of local bike shops, where I have built relationships, carry those brands. The second consideration was cost – I wanted to keep it at around $500 or less, because I have no extra cash and was planning to barter a trade rather than making a purchase. I owned a top-of-the-line 1985 model Trek 520 Touring bike, a machine recognized as a collectable classic, and believed (correctly) that it would be good trade material. The 520 itself was inappropriate for my intended bike use because of its drop-bar riding position, and unavailability of parts. The bike is so old, many of the parts (gears, brakes, tires) are extremely rare or unavailable.

So, my requirements so far are an inexpensive Urban/City bicycle, with an upright seating position, available locally.

The next requirement was that the new bike should have an aluminum frame. Every bike I've ever owned gets scratched up, and in the real world of scratched up bike frames one thing remains true: Aluminum does not rust. It is strong, light, and rust-free.

Finally, I wanted more traditional components rather than "modern". I wanted good ol' rim brakes instead of disc brakes; cables on the outside of the frame; etc. The simpler and more "traditional" the bike, the more likely I would be able to adjust and maintain it myself.

On the internet, I searched around and settled in on the model I was looking for: the aforementioned Giant Escape 2. So, I put my old Trek 520 on the rack on my car and drove to a local bike shop where I had done business before, and I knew was a Giant dealer. I rolled my 520 into the shop and bartered a trade – the old 520 for a brand spankin' new Escape 2. The owner (or manager? I don't know if the guy I talked to owned or merely managed the shop -) of the shop looked at my old Trek with eyes as wide as saucers. He may have been a collector, because there was no hemming and hawing about it, the deal was done. I left my trusty Trek there at the shop (I have never seen it since) and they ordered my new faithful steed.

It took about a week for the new bike to arrive at the shop, and I picked it up and have been happily riding it for almost two years now. It is very large (I am 6'5" tall) but accomplishes everything I had wanted it to. The only substantial change I made to it was to install high quality tires.

Hopefully this narrative will help you as you go through the process of choosing a new bike. The most important thing is to get a bike that does what you want a bike to do, and to get one that fits.