Must be.
Actually it’s a pretty simple equation. I go to the Big Island several times a year and I haven’t been able to ride a bicycle there. When it’s just a day or two, as it was this past weekend, it’s not a big deal. But when I stay for multiple days, it’s a problem.
I’ve thought about taking my Bike Friday with me and have come to the conclusion that it’s really too expensive just for a day or two on a neighbor island. The problem isn’t really the $17 fee ($34 round trip) I’d have to pay for the suitcase, it’s the $30 ($60 round trip) I’d have to pay for the cab to the airport.
I don’t own a car and I generally don’t have time to bike the airport and pack up the bike before a flight. If I were going on an extended trip I’d make the time, but to dash to the Big Island on a whim, not likely.
The simple solution was to buy a used bike and leave it there. That saves me the $100 round trip cost added to my airfare every time I go. I’m just going to have to keep stash of spare tubes and such at hand there…not a big deal.
So what did I get? I’ve been told it’s an old Raleigh, though frankly it’s hard to tell. It’s a “go fast” bike without a lot of braze-ons so I’ll have to deal figuring out racks and such later, but I’m going to keep this one lean. I won’t be commuting when I’m there in the strict sense of commuting, so I should be fine with just a tiny rack and some point.
It needs a lot of TLC, but hey, that’s what bikes are for!
Aloha
Slower, cheaper, less useful…