I've been a bike-commuter for a few years now. I love saving money, getting outside, and moving my body, and biking around town checks all those boxes for me. I even ride in the winter time, and in Northern Ontario that can be frosty at times!
A few years ago, I bought myself a Norco Bigfoot 3. This was at the height of COVID, meaning it was extremely challenging to find any in stock. I rode that bike to work and back, every day, no matter what the weather was doing. I remember one evening actually getting stuck in a winter storm, and needing to walk the bike home. There was over 30cm of snow accumulated on the roads, and it was treacherous. Should I have cabbed home? Yes. Was I too stubborn to? Also yes. I made it home just fine, and I was well-dressed for the cold so it wasn't much more than an inconvenience for me.
Aside from that storm, riding the fat bike was a fun experience. However, what I learned from riding it regularly was a bit shocking to me: even in a Northern Ontario winter, the massive tires were usually not necessary for getting around town. Most of the main roads are plowed pretty regularly, and those that weren't could be handled with studded mountain bike tires.
I ended up selling the fat bike in 2023 to put away some money.
Let's fast forward to July 2024. I spotted an interesting bike on Kijiji (Canada's Craigslist): an old Urbanite hybrid bike, originally manufactured for the Toronto Police force. I knew it had to had pretty solid components to be suitable for the police. It was scuffed up, but to me that is a good thing. Bike theft is a serious issue nowadays, and having an ugly bike certainly helps reduce the risk of theft.
I contacted the seller and found a time to check it out. When I took it for a test ride, I was impressed. It rode like new! It shifted beautifully and stopped quickly. And for only $120, it was a steal. I left with it jammed in the back of my car, excited to get it all tuned up.
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