Jessy Clonts, our neighbor in the Bay Area, test rode a Radish for 30-days this spring. This is a journal about her expectations, experiences and feedback. Enjoy!
Day 15
Riding downhill to my trainer’s studio this morning, I felt a sudden shifting under my pedals. The Radish was hopping gears on its own and I felt a slight panic. Aside from putting air into tires with my brand new pump, I really don’t know a thing about bicycle maintenance, and definitely don’t roll with a tool belt to fix things like fallen chains. I pedaled—gently—after my session to Mike’s Bikes to get a diagnosis.
Mike’s Bikes is my go-to shop for gear, mainly because it’s near my house and they play great music in the store. An added bonus, the employees are friendly and knowledgeable, and I always get helped right away. Standing in line at the maintenance shop in the back of the store, a guy in front of me asked about the Radish.
“How does it handle?”
“I just carted a load full of groceries and it handled awesome. Didn’t even feel the weight.”
“Really? Looks like a cool bike.”
“I love it. I’ve gotten a couple of people on the Snap Deck too.”
“Oh yeah? (really checking out the Radish now) Like bike surfing? That’s rad!”
“It’s Rad-ish. That’s what it’s called. The Radish.”
“Hilarious. That’s perfect.”
“I totally recommend it. It’s a lot of fun.”
The guy who helped me explained that since the bike is brand new, the chain was likely “stretching” a little from the usage. He showed me a small adjustment I could make on my own on the brake cable, but offered to take it for a quick spin in the parking lot to adjust it for me. A couple of minutes later, he returned on the Radish, cruising slowly through the store while pedaling quickly in first gear amid cat calls and whistles from his fellow coworkers.
Dismantling from the Radish like a cowboy (or girl) from his (or her) horse, he told me the adjustment should fix the problem. I was welcome to ride around for a few minutes to test it out, and if all was well, I could just ride on. Sweet! Problem fixed at no charge. Next time I have a bike issue, Mike’s Bikes will have my business all the way.
Jessy Clonts, our neighbor in the Bay Area, test rode a Radish for 30-days this spring. This is a journal about her expectations, experiences and feedback. Enjoy!
Day 19
Today seemed like the perfect day to boulder with a couple of friends on a 30-foot hunk of rhyolite in the Berkeley Hills, also known as Indian Rock. I-Rock is about 2.5 miles uphill from where I live, and thus, “totally bikeable.” However the temperature on this day turned out to be 80 degrees by 11:00 a.m.
I’m going to admit something; please don’t judge. I staked out my proposed route in a car first. Then I decided not to bike it.
But here is my reasoning. Bouldering is a passion of mine, and it’s not often that I get to boulder outdoors with friends in the middle of a perfect day. In 80-degree weather, I couldn’t afford to be zapped of all my energy from biking before ever reaching the rock. It wouldn’t be safe for either activity.
And so, Indian Rock will have to wait for cooler weather before it gets to meet the Radish. It’s okay for the Radish to have high standards.
Jessy Clonts, our neighbor in the Bay Area, test rode a Radish for 30-days this spring. This is a journal about her expectations, experiences and feedback. Enjoy!
Days 12 and 13
Went camping and rock climbing this weekend in a car; I was a passenger, not the driver. The trip was 75 miles away, and I’m definitely not “bike” enough to have made the trip on two wheels. I thought of how fun it would have been to approach the Sunset Boulders on the Radish, but the car wasn’t set up to haul bikes, so had to leave it behind. I assure you though, the Radish was there in spirit.
Day 14
You know that old adage that you never forget how to ride a bike once you’ve learned? In my opinion, you may never forget, but you can get rusty. It’s only been a couple of days since I last rode, but after pumping some air into the tires and pedaling into to the street, it took me a minute to adjust back to being on two wheels.
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Jessy Clonts, our neighbor in the Bay Area, test rode a Radish for 30-days this spring. This is a journal about her expectations, experiences and feedback. Enjoy!
Day 11
I felt guilty for having driven a car, so today I was determined to ride in the rain. This being my first time, I was both scared and unprepared. Though I did have the foresight to pop off the wooden SnapDeck before heading out, I didn’t protect the seat with a plastic bag between trips, which resulted in soggy pants and a sour mood. Like an old lady, I rode the brakes and planned my trip in such a way that I only took right turns. Don’t judge; I am accident prone. What a day to get a new haircut!
When I came home I dragged the Radish up my stairs and into my house, and then lovingly wiped it all down to prevent rust. In these modern times, I can’t say I’ve ever been more grateful for a hot shower and flannel pajamas.
Jessy Clonts, our neighbor in the Bay Area, test rode a Radish for 30-days this spring. This is a journal about her expectations, experiences and feedback. Enjoy!
Days 8-10
My friends and I have taken to using the word “bike” as an adjective to describe extreme bike-like behavior. As in, “That dude’s messenger bag is pretty bike,” or, “Did you see the way she just jumped over that pothole? So bike!”
I am becoming more “bike,” that much I know, but “bike” enough to ride the Radish in the rain? Not so much. Okay, I admit it, I cheated, alright? I cheated on the 30-day challenge just eight days in and got groceries in a car. But no doubt my eggs and paper milk carton lived thanks to the dryness in the trunk of said car.
I know what you’re thinking: the FreeLoaders are water resistant. I only did it the one time, and I walked and BARTed everywhere else during the torrential downpours this week. I’m telling you, I am working on it. I am really trying to become more “bike!”
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