On modes of transportation
Something I never really mentioned was the purchase of the foldable bike: a Dahon with a reasonably lightweight aluminum frame, a seven-speed hub and high-pressure tires. It's great fun in the city for the rides to and from the commuter train, or across downtown for occasional errrands after work.I have had this foldable bike for nearly two years, and used it almost (work-)daily, even in the Chicago winters. 'Almost' because I did suffer from broken parts on a few occassions: a pedal broke (easy replacement), the axis in the front wheel broke (a good week for a new and inexpensive wheel) but the bummer was that a part of the frame-folding mechanism broke last fall. Given that the bike, which I bought used via craigslist, is a few years old, the part was no longer standard and so we waited for it to be shipped from the manufacturer. And waited and waited some more until Dan's decided to give me a matching part from a bike in their inventory. But apart from that episode, and the occassional problem with conductors on the Metra commuter trains, it has been a smooth ride. Highly recommended, and I do see a few more foldable bikes downtown.
