Hi all,
A coworker gifted me a free Trek 4500 from the early 2000s, largely unused in the last many years. It sat in my back yard for a few months while I thought about what to do with it; I’ve finally made the first movement towards having a badass utility bicycle.
Step one involved knowing that I like a more upright riding position and am not the most comfortable or agile person on a bike (that’s nice-speak for “I’m a pretty fat guy” and “I never really rode bikes as a kid so I learned how in my mid-20s and am still not 100% comfortable with it”). So I bought a pair of swept-back handlebars which I then kept in a closet for a month, lol.
Finally I decided to just move forward, so I took the bike to the local bike shop and had them do their inspection, basic needed maintenance, and installation of the handlebars. Now I have something fairly comfortable which also looks kind of neat.
Four more things I have planned to do:
- Add a back rack that I have on an old trashed frame also in the backyard.
- Acquire and add fenders. While it rarely rains here, when it does I’d like to be prepared.
- Acquire and add a front rack, since this is going to be largely for groceries and errands.
- Add a bike trailer, again for groceries and errands.
Other possibilities include a different seat, a handlebar bag in lieu of a front rack, essentially anything else to make it cool and functional.
Do y’all have any recommendations for stuff that might be worth adding or doing to this bike to make it comfortable for someone overweight to commute with and do basic errands and groceries with?
In my experience, fenders/mud guards can be a PITA. After a little while they start to rattle, move around and rub against your wheels, add weight, make it more annoying to lock your bike, etc
I’ve been using “Ass savers” for a few years which are little plastic flaps that you wedge under your seat and they’re great for light rain. I’d strongly consider not adding the full fender setup unless you’re really sure you’re going to be regularly cycling in heavy rain.
Things I would make sure to add:
nice idea, there - i might go that route because it is fairly rare for rain around here. i already have front and rear lights, a bottle cage and an oversized holder, and a phone holder so we’re in business there!