[ophale]

Ok this is self congratulating... I celebrated my 7000 mile bike commuting milestone recently. What so special about 7000 miles you ask??? Well it is the calculated mileage I needed to ride to pay for my bike investment through gas savings bike commuting to work. So my Specialized Rockhopper 29er is paid for by my own sweat and peddle power.

So what did I do to celebrate this milestone, I purchased another bike. I know most of you will understand, as I have been reading this forum for the last year and half for information and inspiration. You ask what did I buy??? I know I'll be flamed here since it was not a mtn bike. A Cervelo S1. I know it's not a commute bike either. But hey, if you live in Kona, Hawaii and your commute route is mostly a small part of the ironman route, you feel out of place not riding TT/Tri or fast road bike. Anyway, below is some bike porn of my 29er (comutified) and my new Cervelo. Oh, and no I'm not taking a razor to my legs.

29er

Cervelo S1

Now I'm committed to ride another 18,000 miles to pay this one off.

Happy New Year!

 

[mtbxplorer]

Ok this is self congratulating... I celebrated my 7000 mile bike commuting milestone recently. What so special about 7000 miles you ask??? Well it is the calculated mileage I needed to ride to pay for my bike investment through gas savings bike commuting to work. So my Specialized Rockhopper 29er is paid for by my own sweat and peddle power.

So what did I do to celebrate this milestone, I purchased another bike. I know most of you will understand, as I have been reading this forum for the last year and half for information and inspiration. You ask what did I buy??? I know I'll be flamed here since it was not a mtn bike. A Cervelo S1. I know it's not a commute bike either. But hey, if you live in Kona, Hawaii and your commute route is mostly a small part of the ironman route, you feel out of place not riding TT/Tri or fast road bike. Anyway, below is some bike porn of my 29er (comutified) and my new Cervelo. Oh, and no I'm not taking a razor to my legs.

Now I'm committed to ride another 18,000 miles to pay this one off.

Happy New Year!

Congratulations! That's a lot of miles! Just think, if the price of gas keeps going up, you'll be getting your 3rd bike even sooner. Enjoyed your bike shots with the tropical vegetation, they made me feel warmer here in VT.

 

[Gary the No-Trash Cougar]

Good job! No shame in riding road, it's your attitude towards other cyclists and road users that counts. Keep up the good work!

 

[ophale]

Thanks! I'm glad my photo's warmed you up. You guys in the snow country are the true commuting heros. Gas prices in Hawaii are usually the highest in the nation and on the big island they are even higher. I believe the going rate is $3.68/gal. I think you are right, I'm going to pay off bike "two" sooner than later. However, bike three will be a bit more difficult as my wife has already drew the line in the sand at two...

Oh and by the way, this spot is saved for you... I just can't seem to find the cooler...

 

[ophale]

Attitude

I agree! Attitude towards others is key. I always wave, and slow down and talk with fellow riders along my route (unless I'm late to work...). I just don't get the snobbery of some in the cycling community. Are we not riding bikes? So what if you are sporting a beard with fragments of barbecue potato chips lodge in it as you ride your recumbent, wear the brightest colors and have every space on the bike with reflective material and blinkies, sport a super cool fixie sporting artistically sculpted facial hair, or lumber along with flip flops and bathing suit on the plush riding cruiser. Just ride!

 

[rodar y rodar]

Whoohoo! Awesome- free bike! You`re gonna have a long time to think about what to treat yourself with for Number Three. Also, I don`t think you`re going to need any fire extinguisher. Threads certainly do have a way of bursting into flame, but the only time I`ve seen it happen over choice of bike type was when MABman posted his gas assisted bikes on the electric assist section on another forum (still can`t figure that one out).

 

[UncleRobin]

Ah the ol' Hawaii tax. Everything cost more in Hawaii. Although the arrival Costco & Wal-Mart made a big difference in the cost of things in Kona.

I use to do a fair amount of riding in the Kona area in the early to late mid 2000s. However I found myself cutting back because it seemed like the drivers were really starting to get bad, not to mention all the road construction going on. It's an island; why is everybody on such a hurry? Even though I would consider myself a seasoned rider, as traffic really never fazed me, it started bothering me there. Hopefully that has improved.

Now riding out in the lava fields - that's was a blast.

UR

 

[mtbxplorer]

Thanks for the spot at the beach! Here's one right back at you from New England in case it gets too warm...a photo of our alternate excercise equipment and alternate transportation when the going gets tough. I am #1 cool aunt since I got my nephew a ride in the snow groomer for Xmas (online auction benefitting MTB club).

p.s. I suspect wife's "line in the sand" will be washed away by the tides by the time you are looking for bike #3. In the meanhile enjoy your new bike.

 

[LUNARFX]

7000 miles is definitely a milestone! That's truly a feat for doing it all on the same bike! I know some people who can't keep their cars for that long with their silly leases. I can only imagine the great year-round rides you have on the island. I want to go back and wish I could take my bike with me!

 

[Simonns]

Congrats! Looks too warm though......

-Simon

 

[Specializin'n'Specialized]

Ok this is self congratulating... I celebrated my 7000 mile bike commuting milestone recently. What so special about 7000 miles you ask??? Well it is the calculated mileage I needed to ride to pay for my bike investment through gas savings bike commuting to work. So my Specialized Rockhopper 29er is paid for by my own sweat and peddle power.

So what did I do to celebrate this milestone, I purchased another bike. I know most of you will understand, as I have been reading this forum for the last year and half for information and inspiration. You ask what did I buy??? I know I'll be flamed here since it was not a mtn bike. A Cervelo S1. I know it's not a commute bike either. But hey, if you live in Kona, Hawaii and your commute route is mostly a small part of the ironman route, you feel out of place not riding TT/Tri or fast road bike. Anyway, below is some bike porn of my 29er (comutified) and my new Cervelo. Oh, and no I'm not taking a razor to my legs.

29er

Cervelo S1

Now I'm committed to ride another 18,000 miles to pay this one off.

Happy New Year!

Congrats!!!!!!
PM Sent!!!

 

[ophale]

Kona has changed...

UncleRobin,

Although we still have the Hawaii "tax" (I guess you got to pay for the sunshine), things have changed. For starters, the Queen Kaahumanu Hwy has been rebuilt to the Harbor as a four lane divided hwy with a very wide shoulder (basically wide enough for a third lane) with plans to extend the divided hwy to the airport. As for the drivers, I think things have calmed down since some of the traffic issues have been worked on. However, I mostly ride during the commute times and I believe there are more courteous drivers on the road at that time. Recently a Target opened its doors here in Kona, so we have more choices and it is a little less expensive than before. However, the economy is not doing well and tourism (the driver of the economy) has not recovered. Island life is always interesting...

 

[CommuterBoy]

7k miles since June of 08. Dang. I'm a hearty winter snow commuter, but it still takes me 3+ school years (I'm a teacher) to get to 7k miles at a measly 12 miles per day.

BOTH of your bikes are sweet, by the way. I'd love to have that Cervelo for centuries and club rides. Awesome.

I also just recently figured out how to get to '3 bike' status without having to go head-to-head with the wife... build bike #3 from the frame up. I realized this while I was building bike #2... a bike part here and there is a wife-approved purchase, and then one day, BAM, it's a whole bike and she has no idea how it happened. I'm a suspension fork and a chain away from bike #3 personally :lol: The setealth way to go is to buy the frame last. Then you're just using parts "that you had laying around."