A-Bike Owner

The weather is turning cold now, and the days grow shorter by almost 4 minutes each day! It has been raining quite hard and it has been windy. So here is a review of the riding the A-Bike under these conditions:

Bumps: The A-Bike handles bumps and small potholes better than I expected. In the dark rainy conditions, it was not possible to see the road surface very well, so I ploughed over some bumps that I would otherwise miss. Luckily I know this route well, which helped in avoiding most major obstacles.

Brakes: I did not have to use the brakes too much on this ride, but they performed OK, not great but not bad either.

Deep water!: Some parts of the bike-path were covered in a inch or two of water. The bike went through these OK, but I was wondering how long the wheel bearings would last under these conditions.
Fortunately they look like standard cartridge bearings, available at most bearing shops. The deep water also obscured some sharp bumps that added to the excitement.

Mud protection: All the trees over the bike-path are losing their leaves. They land on the bike-path, where they turn to a muddy slush as cyclists ride over them. So it was no surprise that when I got home, my A-Bike was filthy. So were my shoes and my lower legs. I was clean from my knees up though, so it looks like you don't get a spray up your back from the small wheels. However, the mudguards could be better. Luckily, cleaning the bike is simple: fold it up and stick it in the shower!