April brings new encounters, and for me personally, it’s my birthday month,
so it’s a time that gets me excited for all sorts of reasons.
That said, I’ve had quite enough of today’s strong winds,
which feel like a spring storm that arrived late. Stay safe, everyone.
As it gets warmer, you start wanting to head out on your bike, don’t you?
As I mentioned on the blog yesterday, this weekend is our Cherry Blossom Ride.
I’ll be participating in the unofficial (?) CRC practice session instead,
so I won’t be able to make it to the Cherry Blossom Ride,
but it will be a relaxing and fun ride, quite different from our practice sessions,
so I highly encourage you all to join.
Today, I’d like to introduce a bike perfect for such leisurely rides.
Surly “Long Haul Trucker Circles Original Complete Bike” ¥168,000
size:54cm (26″ wheel)
The Surly Long Haul Trucker we all know and love.
We’ve built this bike—which translates literally to "long-haul truck driver"—
into a Circles-style touring bike.
The componentry uses Shimano LX,
with a 3x9 speed setup to accompany you wherever you go.
The handlebar is the FSA Metropolis,
set up like a semi-drop bar for a comfortable ride.
For the shifters, we used bar-ends, which have seen a surge in popularity
lately thanks to Retroshift.
The tires are Continental Town & Country (26×1.9).
Equipped with Velo Orange Smooth Fenders,
you can enjoy not just on-road riding, but light off-road terrain as well.
Even if it rains, you’ll be just fine.
This is also a bike I’d recommend for commuting.
It’s ¥168,000 including the fenders.
Please come by the shop and take a look.
Of course, if you spoil it with a carrier, it will become an even better companion.
It might be a little early to talk about this, but
how about taking this along for the Kyoto RIDE by the girls,
which has become a Golden Week tradition here at Circles?
Civia “Rear Market Rack Short” (for 26”) ¥8,190
It’s simple yet sturdily built.
You might as well throw on some panniers, too.
Some people are surprisingly hesitant about them, but once you use them, you’ll be hooked.
shige