When you become a cycling addict, you start to realize that one bike is NEVER enough.  They all have different purposes, you see.  I wouldn’t take my fixed gear road bike mountain biking, just as I wouldn’t take my 12 speed Trek with clipless pedals to the train station to lock it up all day.  You need to have a diverse collection of bikes that can fit every condition.

I, of course, love to commute to work by bike.  This was easy when I was 5 miles away.  But now my biggest client is all the way across the state, leaving me with no choice but to involve some other form of transportation.  I tried driving, but going from Princeton to Hoboken during rush hour has to be one of the worst commutes ever!  So I turned to the rails for answers.  With one little transfer, I could be in Hoboken in a jiffy.  Trouble is, the train station is across town from my office.  Most of my friends that work there either walk, or take a cab.  Taking a cab everyday seems like an incredible waste of money, but walking takes forever.  The logical answer would be to ride my bike to the train, take it with me, and when I get to Hoboken, ride it to the office.  But NJ transit sucks at dealing with bikes, and it’s almost impossible during rush hour with a transfer.

Suddenly, the answer came to me.  I needed a beater bike that I could keep in Hoboken, locked up outside the station.  In a couple days, I found the perfect bike on Craigslist.  It was green and ugly, single speed, coaster brakes (pedal back to stop), and $20.  Perfect.  After a few adjustments and some air in the tires, I was good to go.  “Ugly Bike”, or “The Green Goblin” as some coworkers call it, was born.  I’ve had it for over 2 months now and this $20 bike has been the most reliable thing I own.  So, although this bike will never be allowed in my home, it will always have a place in my heart.