It's been fun getting reacquainted with my bike and the bus system again. It forces me to be more conscious of the plans I make instead of sitting at my desk doing work until it's too late and then need to jump in the car to go the 2 miles to the dojo or to my office up on Phinney. I also get a little extra exercise and a nice warm-up before my massage clients and aikido class (uphill both ways). 

I remember now that I love my bike too. The brand is a Raleigh Cadent 1.0. It's a pretty simple road bike: one of the cheapest I could find that had some quality. I paid $600 for it about 5 years ago and it's been a great bike. I've only had to do a couple of basic maintenance things like change the bar tape, replace the chain, change out the brake pads, fix a couple spokes, and just tightening screws here and there. It's got a rack so I can hang my paniers and carry my gi, sheets for massage, groceries, beer, etc. It's an excellent road bike with a geometry that's a little more upright and designed for comfort. 

And yes, that's a garfield reflector on the front wheel. It came as a prize in a box of Frosted Flakes and I've had it on every one of my bikes since I was a kid. I like to think it brings some good luck.

If you live in Seattle, one of the cool things the city does is called the One Less Car Challenge. You get a bunch of incentives by getting rid of one car in your household. Incentives like $175 Zipcar savings, $200 gift certificate to REI, $100 off Tiny's Organic, and some free memberships to bicycle clubs in the area. I think with my gift certificate, I'll treat my bike and my ass to a new Brook's saddle. 

I think an English saddle in brown leather would go nicely with my English bike (that was made in China).