Infected.

I think I've been infected by Da Robot's love of the single speed. Now that my commute has shortened and is in a more hectic traffic area, I find myself wanting a single. No gears to screw with and a sturdier bike that will be able to handle the bumps and holes around town. I honestly didn't ever think a single speed would be for me.

A lot of my desire for a single speed is now fueled by the fact that I don't have to worry about my gears getting banged around during the bus portion of my commute. I am NOT a good bike mechanic. If my back falls and the derailleur gets bent, I'm sorta hosed until I can get to a friends house who knows how to properly adjust such things. Not having to worry about that is really appealing to me.

Another thing I'm really into is the idea that this bike is just the faster lighter version of my cruiser bike. I love my cruiser. I would actually ride that on my commute but it's outfitted with a child seat now and I really like the attack position that drop bars will give me on a single. The reason I got my cruiser was it was a cheap bike that I didn't have to worry about. The single I'm looking at follows that same mode of thought. It's a cheap bike.

And last but not least and surely this can't be discounted, it's a new bike. Who doesn't want a new bike? This is the stuff Christmas mornings are made of. Just like new sneakers will make you run faster and you can can race your sister to the fireplace to prove it, this bike will make me get to and from the bus faster, safer, and cooler.

So I'm getting a new bike. It's just a matter of when.