Tomorrow, my Faraday Cortland and I will celebrate our two week anniversary. I’d like to report that this bike is a marvel. I couldn’t be more pleased. We were planning on purchasing a new front door for our house, but then my guy suggested we buy me a bike for Christmas. Uh, how can I agrue with that type of logic? Why use the front door when the garage is infintely easier for the bikes?

Let’s catch up some on some details. In my previous post I mentioned concern about the creamy tires. I’m over it. Tires are still creamy and rims are shiny. I have put over 100 miles on the bike. Roads are dirty, muddy and wet, and the tires should look like they belong on a cyclocross bike. The disc brakes make all the difference in the world. A few years back I purchased a Specialized Globe with creamy tires and brake pads and they turned gray within the first few rains. I became skeptical about creamy tires back then. With disc brakes there’s nothing to worry about. A few fragments of gunk on the fenders, but otherwise, clean. There’s still only one thing to change and that’s the addition of the racks, but honestly, there’s nothing to be done until they are available. I have been using a backpack to carry a lock and other other essentials plus my adorable PoCampo bag I borrowed off my road bike.

One day I logged 33 miles and I did run out of … electricity. I am still getting used to the 20-22 mile range. I rode into downtown Portland and did some shopping and then decided to ride over the new Tilikum Crossing.

When I was at the boutique showing off the new bike I should have turned it off. That along with my range of miles meant I was running on sheer leg power for the last ten miles home. I hoofed it up the big hill and it was fine. I was fine, my legs were fine. I made it fine without the assist, but the assist is the E-Factor.  Getting home took a little longer, but I didn’t have to dismount and walk up. The bike is still light enough to be a great bike for riding even without the E-Factor. The Cortland is heavier than my normal commuting rig, by about 10 pounds, but on the hill I geared down and made it up… fine.

On Christmas day I biked over to my parents’ house (9 miles one way) and since I wasn’t sure how long I’d be there I packed the charger and once I got there I put the bike on the charger. I used the assist here and there, but not for the whole ride. The assist is particularly helpful at intersections and getting across busy streets. It’s like a jet pack for your bum. When I left their house by bike and my husband left by car, given the traffic and my bike route, we kept pace with each other along the route. We were not racing. I simply followed my normal bike route and we met up at a few intersections and stop signs. I shaved 10-15 minutes off my time here, there and roundabout.

As I go into the new year, I’m hoping to ride the Cortland in the morning to school and skip the bus ride. I think I can, I think I can.

Thanks for reading.
Happy rides and routes in 2017. Be safe!
BG