Beach Cruiser Commuting – Groans and Squeaks and my New Bell iPulse Bike Light

The groans and squeaks are from the bike, not from me – I actually feel great after commuting by bike.  My Schwinn beach cruiser is starting to make some unsettling noises.  When coasting the coaster brake is making a groaning noise.  When peddling I’m getting some squeaks and groans from somewhere near the chain area.  I oiled the chain before I started commuting.  I’m hoping it just needs another oiling to quiet it.

I read somewhere that the typical big box store bike is designed to last for 75 miles.  I have no idea if there is any truth to that or not, but I hope mine will hold up for a bit longer. I had probably 75 to 100 miles on my bike before I started commuting.  In the eight times I’ve commuted by bike I’ve totaled another 152 miles.

If I commute every day I’ll be looking at around 3000 miles per year.  Suffice it to say I need my bike to last much longer than 75 miles.

I’m keeping an eye on craigslist in case any good commuter bikes come up at a good price, but barring that I’m planning to keep riding this one until it falls apart (or through the end of the year, whichever comes first.)

Bell iPulse Headlight Review

My Bell iPulse headlight arrived last week.  It works much better than the bungee corded flashlight setup I had previously.  It shines a nice little patch of light in front of the bike.  I’m also able to aim it better than the bungee corded flashlight.

That said it’s not as bright as I’d like it to be.  It’s very bright for a $20 light, but eventually I’ll want to upgrade to something brighter.  I’d call this light a good recreational bike light, but for commuting it’s barely acceptable.  The headlight washes out at the edges of the streetlights.  Where there are no streetlights, I have just enough light to avoid obstacles.

It will serve the purpose for now, but eventually I’m going to want an upgraded headlight and taillight.

Here are the lights on my wishlist:

• NiteRider Lumina 650
• Portland Design Works Danger Zone Tail Light

Those would make me much more visible and allow me to see much better.  Most of my ride is on sidewalks and multi-use trails, but I do have a couple stretches that put me on the street well before the sun comes up.

I have two cheaper versions of the blinky red lights on the back now, one on the bike and one on my backpack.  I have two forward facing lights with the new iPulse and my cheap flashlight.  I think I’m relatively visible now, but I’m planning to save up some money so I can upgrade to clearly visible.

I have to admit that I have some inner conflict here.  Part of me hates dumping any money into bicycle commuting.  After all, I was doing just fine driving with no additional cost.  On the other hand I’m saving about $70 per month in gas.

P90X Update

I want to take a second to update everyone on our P90X progress… There is none.

Yeah, no progress.  We completed one round at the end of last year and we wanted to do another round, but we haven’t been able to get back into the swing of it.  On the plus side, we have both kept our weight off, and my bicycle commuting should keep me on the path to shed my spare tire.

I really want to get back into P90X, but the lazy-couch sitting-movie watching side of me keeps winning the battle.

Related articles

• Beach Cruiser Commuting – My First Bicycle Commute (rethinkingthedream.com)
• Beach Cruiser Commuting – My First Bicycle Commute part 2 (rethinkingthedream.com)
• Beach Cruiser Commuting – My Bike and Gear (rethinkingthedream.com)
• Beach Cruiser Commuting – The Hidden Wonders of Nature (rethinkingthedream.com)

Tagged as: Beach Cruiser Commuting, Bicycle commuting