The beginning 6/22/09

I'm starting a blog to document my lifestyle change away from cars and to bikes as a primary means of travel. I have many plans and experiences to share and though this would be the best way to do that.
I teach high school. School is in summer session; I am working for extra cash to feed my need/desire for a new bike. I'm thinking about a Surly Crosscheck, in what my wife calls puke brown. I'll outfit said bike with Balckburn expedition rack, MKS touring pedals, Soma half clips, Brooks B-17 black saddle, and Banjo Brothers saddlebag panniers. This bike will be my main commuter for the upcoming school term, my 9th year as a teacher.
I've been commuting to work for a few years now, one year in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a 13 mile one way ride down the riverside trail from downtown Tulsa to Jenks. I did that commute on a Specialized Allez Elite, with Look pedals and a backpack. That pack contained a change of clothes and any work that I took home and didn't do. My experience was positive as students became excited enough by my bike in the classroom and my stories that a club was formed and weekly rides became common. The actual trail to work was less positive. I actually found it safer and easier to ride the streets and deal with cars than to dodge runners and walkers who can't hear my calls of "on your left" due to their headphones. Many occasions brought swearing and fip offs directed my way as I rode by at my usual clip.
A couple of years back my wife and I moved to Santa Fe, NM, where we are today and will be for some time I suspect. Our first child, a daughter is due this October and we're settling in for awhile. My first year here in Santa Fe I didn't ride at all. The commute is shorter at 10 miles, but the mountains and altitude of 7000ft gave me pause. I'm a runner too and as I built my distance and strength I began to think of riding again to work. Unfortunately I had no bike at this point, save for my Trek 6500. I had sold the Specialized Allez for quick cash to adjust to a much different cost of living and found it hard to get adequate speed on the road with the Trek.
I was without much money and the prospect of getting another bike like the Specialized was financially out of reach. I began to take a more DIY approach and began to research single speed conversions of vintage bikes.
Through an aquaintence I procured a Motobecane Super Mirage frame from the early to mid 70s. I built the bike up in my garage using Weinman DP18 wheels, a Surly track cog and lockring, with Rondeneur tires. I used Soma moustache bars with Oury grips and have a single front brake that is pulled by an Avid mountain bike lever. I have a brown leather saddle from a Masi bike and Nervar/Stronglight vintage track cranks. I'm running 52 up front and 19 in the rear. With the hills around town this took some getting used to. This bike has been my commuter for the past year and I have recently added a Plescher rack and a Nashbar trunk bag so I no longer have to carry a backpack. I still ride this bike and it sits in my classroom as I write this.
I just returned from the Telluride Bluegrass festival where I took a team Wonderbike pledge from New Belgium Brewery. I pledged to ride at least 300 miles per month this year. I took a similar pledge last year at the festival and pretty much accomplished it. I vowed to ride around three times a week and for the most part did. This year I hope will be different. My wife and I are selling our second car, a VW Westy and are keeping our Outback. She walks to work and my bike commuting should save us a ton in fuel. I'm completely stoked to get be underway on this new challenge, having ridden 120 miles already in the past 10 days ( I did drive to Telluride, but there are plans for that next year).
I took a summer school position, which I normally don't do, in order to add a new bike to my growing fleet. I hope to ride the Surly for some time after July 17 (payday).