Sanon 1
Student Name
Professor Molly Tenenbaum
ENG 101 Composition 1
12August 2014
Just the Right Bike
As I can remember, last year, I was having a back pain – perhaps due to the habit of sitting for hours at work. I knew I had to have a routine exercise; I must prevent myself from being slumpy and weak. One of the great outdoor exercises is biking. I like how I am able to also appreciate the surroundings, meet new people, and discover new places to go to when biking outside compared to building up some muscles inside a gym. But in order to fulfill this exercise and hobby, I needed a good bike. Every aspiring biker needs a good bike. My mountain bike, in particular, is an ideal one. Itis generally good enough compared to most; it is lightweight and durable, has good wheels and brakes system, is easily assembled, has 21-speed selections, and only costs $135.
In choosing a bike, we must consider a certain number of criteria so that we would not waste money and be disappointed in the end. In general, from the most to least important, the quality, accessibility, and affordability of the bike should be taken in mind.This includes the weight of the bike. The weight of a bicycle has a significant effect upon the speed a biker can make through that bike. Also, it includes the bike’s durability. If I want to have biking as my regular, at least thrice a month, exercise, my bicycle should be able to resist wear and stress caused by frequent use. Next, this also includes the brakes and wheels system. This is crucial as having poor brakes and wheels most likely leads to accidents. In addition, this includes the bike’s assembly. The bike should fit the size of the biker, and, to give convenience, the parts should have quick-release features. Further, this includes the shifting gears of the bicycle. Speed-shifting gears in bicycles are important like the gear-shifting features of vehicles. It determines the speed of the bike and the power the biker should exert especially when going through steep roads. Lastly, this includes the cost of the bike. Of course, price may determine the quality of the bike. But, practically speaking, not everyone can afford to spend too much for the equipment. Given this criteria, my mountain bike is definitely an ideal one.
First, my mountain bike is lightweight. It is made of aluminum alloy, and weighs 5.6 pounds – lightweight enough compared to steel bike frames that weigh up to 29 pounds.Such weight is bearable when going up hills, wherein the heavier you weigh the more difficult you can make it to the top of the hill. When I and my 7 cousins visited Richmond Beach Park, we went through Innis Arden Way beside Shoreline Community College. The road has an average grade of 8-10% and about a half mile long. Althoughthe bikes of some of my cousins are more lightweight, I was able to catch up with them in that climb.
Second, my mountain bike is durable and wear-resistant.So far, it’s already been a year and 2 months now, and my bicycle is still in a good condition. With a little help from regular cleaning and proper use, I still did not have the need to replace any part of it.
Third, my bike has good wheels and brake system. For the wheels, my bike has 2-inch wide tires, and this is good to withstand small rocks and cracks on the road. For the brakes, my bike is equipped with brakes discs – both in front and back wheels. This benefits me a lot in many ways. For instance, when I went to I-5 Colonnade Mountain Bike – a trail for advanced bikers – in South Lake Union, I encountered challenging rough and slumpy routes. (To be honest, it was more on walking than riding the bike due to the difficulty of the trail). Despite this rough trail, the wheels of my bike are still perfectly aligned, and there’s no air leak in the tires.Another experience I had was when I was biking at Burke-Gilman Trail through the rain. Although the road was slippery that time, I still managed to take average speeds without losing the brakes.
Fourth, my 29ermountain bike has the right size and a flexible and easy-to-manage assembly. As a 6-foot tall guy, I needed a higher seat and a longer space between the seat and the handlebar. My mountain bike meets them all. In addition, most of my bicycle’s parts have quick-release feature. For instance, I don’t need to hassle too much with a wrench or screw to replace my wheels. I just need to turn the lever (just like using a can opener) and loosen the nut opposite it by hand, and the wheel is already set free from the bike frame.
Further, my mountain bike has a satisfactory Shimano transmission of 21-speed shifting gears. Some bikes only have 15 or 18 speed, and when I experienced using such bikes, it was kind of boring.Even if I wanted to speed up in plain low-traffic trails, I could not. With my bike, I can speed up to 30 to 40 kph on the road when the gears are shifted to the highest. Also, with my bike’s transmission, it easy to do climbs, such aswhen I went through Innis Arden Way with my cousins. When going up an inclined part of the road, I shifted the gears to the lowest. This makes the pedal light to push, thereby preventing my legs from too much exertion.
Lastly, my mountain bike is very affordable at only $135.I bought it online, at Aliexpress.com.Yes, my bicycle is made in China, and it’s too good for a China-made product. Although there are many scam sellers in that online store, I, fortunately, was able to meeta good seller. You simply look for products that already have good feedbacks from previous customers. If there are feedbacks already, then that affirms that the customer truly received the product from the seller. Otherwise, if there’s no feedback, you will be putting your money at great risk of Chinese scammers.
Many may argue that my bicycle is not an excellent choice for a biker. Indeed, there are many better bicycles out there. When it comes to weight, carbon fiber frames can even weigh 1.9 pounds compared to my 5.6-pound bicycle. There are bicycles that have 27-speed – 2 gears more than what my bicycle have. These bicycles are mostly used by professional bikers who even join racing competitions. Although they cost [much] higher than my bicycle, they are more durable, more flexible, have better wheel and brake systems, and have greater speed.
Nevertheless, not all bikers are or aspire to become professional bikers. In my case, I want to have a bike merely for the sake of physical exercise and nothing more.Others may possess a bike simply for a hobby; othersfor utility, such as when carrying only a few goods bought in the market. What matters is that the bicycle is able to fulfill the needs by which the biker wanted to buy it. If it is only for physical exercise, I believe a bicycle that weighs between 5 to 10 pounds, is durable, has good wheels and brakes systems, has a flexible assembly, has 21-speed gear selection, and costs $150-200 is already good enough.