Winter Transition

I put a trainer on my Rocky Mountain

It's the season of transition.  The snow started to really fly this past Saturday.  It didn't stay on the ground like it did in New York City, but it snowed heavily for a while.

This past week or so I've been in bicycle transition.  As it's getting colder, and my Rocky Mountain doesn't like the cold, she's been parked inside.  Recognizing that the weather was going to be changing fast, I ended up purchasing the nice Blue Norco bike for Winter riding.  I still have the Pink Beater and was originally unsure what to do with her.

Took pics of Baxter while the weather & bike still in good shape

But I've decided that with the Baxter the Blue Bike, he's much TOO NICE to trash on slush and dirt as I swear that despite him being at least 25 years old, he's hardly been used.  I still will use him for Winter riding (as a grocery hopper, etc.) on those cold DRY snow days.  He will come in handy as he has a basket whereas my Pink Beater does not.  Despite not wanting to ride Baxter in sloppy conditions, I did end riding him to Superstore on Saturday during the Snow storm!  But it wasn't too bad as the snow didn't stay on the ground.  So he's not as pristine as when I got him, but you can't tell that just by looking at him.

I took no chances and used the Pink beater bike (whom I decided to call Floyd today) when I went out for a Halloween Party on Saturday night.  It was raining hard outside and I'm sort of glad that it fell on the Pink beater rather then on Baxter.


I might ride Floyd to work as there is a serious lack of storage in the back lately, there has been extra stock ordered lately.  I have to leave it in the Compactor room which isn't the best place for a bike as it's dirty.  But I don't mind leaving poor rusty Floyd there.  Or I could also lock it up outside in the elements, but I don't really want to..

(I've decided just to use Floyd  to work and use Baxter on those nice Winter days to do errands.  That way, all my bikes get used!)   It's good thing that I live in a big apartment, I have the room for them all without feeling cramped for space.

Floyd the Pink Beater is on standby for Winter riding

I put the Rocky Mountain onto a Minoura bicycle trainer. I replaced the back Continental Tour tire with a cheap Kenda Kwest tire, the same type that came with the bike new. It's better to wear a cheap tire out then my good ones!  I bought the trainer from a friend.  It was used, so I got a good price for it.  I originally wanted to get it to break the Brooks Saddle in, but the saddle doesn't need ANY breaking in!  But, since I had said that I would buy it, I honoured that.

Anyone else use one?  How do you motivate yourself to ride daily?   I really hope that I will use it as it's not the same as riding outside on a tour.  I've started looking at videos online but am not sure about those.  I need a bike training video game.  ;)  Some videos that I found include Bike-o-vision, Cheese Factory, or riding by a beach.