OK, I'm Getting the Biking Bug Again ...

... and since nobody seems to racing to the ATM to charitably purchase an electric bicycle for me, it'll have to be manual labor I guess.

Dragged out my Critical Harper single-speed road bike yesterday to see what it needs to be road-worthy again. Best-case scenario: Nothing much.

It sat unattended (even after a tarp blew off it) for more than a year, but the tires have held air for more than 24 hours now. Good sign. Oiled the chain and took a spin down the street and back. No immediate problems that I can see.

I've ordered a cheap bike-mountable air pump (with gauge built in) and a cheap "all-in-one" bike tool kit (to replace the assorted tools that have become scattered for other uses since the last time I rode much). Don't know if I'll need new lights or if I've got something around the house. When it's all said and done, I may spend as much as $20 on that kind of stuff, but I'm guessing a little less.

Spare tubes are essential, and I expect new tires will be a near-future need (I've added both of those to my Amazon wish list in case someone who doesn't love me enough to spring for a $650 electric bike might love me a good deal less).

Now I just need to avoid blowing my knees out.

I think part of the problem is that when I start cycling, I kind of push myself, and within a month or two I'm riding 20+ miles per day five or six days a week. My plan this time is to ride for exercise a maximum of ten miles a day, not push it as hard, and only do more miles than that for "gotta be some place" purposes. But I expect to have to be some places :)

Old pic of the bike: