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| Any old iron? |
The great cycle (can you see what I've done there) of my bicycle ownership continues. My previous pile of
vintage scrap-iron had outlived it's usefulness for me, and to adhere to my self-imposed "one in, one out" rule... it had to make way for an even older pile of junk. It was sad to see the Kona go, but I'm sure it will live again under a new rider. With our impending move to China, I need a robust bike that is somewhat inconspicuous and can be used for heavily-loaded touring. The Kona wasn't really ideal in either aspect and my
other touring bike is a bit too high-tech for this adventure... so I felt fate was playing a role when the brother of my Devinci Caribou (a Canadian-branded, grey, steel, bike with yellow writing on it) appeared at OCB in the form of a 1982 Nishiki Caribou (a Canadian-branded, grey, steel, bike with yellow writing on it). In 1982 I was probably riding something like
this (no that's not me), so I've never owned a bike from these early days of mountain biking. I don't really know what mountain biking consisted of in 1982, but the relaxed ride of the bike and simple components seem to make it perfect for a sturdy touring bike. It was also cheaper than fixing up the Kona.
Add some fancy new tires, my old Brooks seat, some funny
Ergon grips, and it's a nice ride. I've been rolling around town on it for the last week or two and just need to give it a try loaded up some time.
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| Hewn from the finest Mangaloy |
