tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12321725.post-10523029378647261172007-09-25T14:30:00.000-07:002008-05-25T15:12:31.675-07:002008-05-25T15:12:31.675-07:00So, safely back home, bicycle and pride intact, what did I learn?<div><br /></div><div>When I bought the Bike Friday I had visions of taking it with me whenever I traveled. That was the first casualty of the trip. While I really, really like my New World Tourist and can highly recommend it to anybody looking for a transportable bike, the fact remains that the bike in its suitcase weights 50 lbs. In addition, the suitcase is huge. After we were done biking, my father and I took the train to Brussels for a beer festival and then took the train to Düsseldorf, where we flew home. That was a lot of schlepping around -- getting the heavy suitcase on and off the train, and finding taxi's that were big enough for two large suitcases (plus another suitcase each for clothes).</div><div><br /></div><div>So when would I travel with the bike. Well, if it's a cycling trip of course the bike comes along. If I am flying somewhere where I am staying in one location for at least a week or so, then I would consider bringing the bike. If I am traveling by car, then I would bring the bike if there was any chance of getting a ride it -- folding it to put in the car is a trivial task compared to packing the bike in the suitcase for air travel.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, and that clicking noise? It turns out I did not install the right pedal properly  and it eventually damaged the threads on the right crank arm and ended up replacing the who crankset :(</div><div><br /></div><div>So I purchased a pair of MKS MT-E EZY quick release pedals from <a href="http://www.calhouncycle.com/">Calhoun Cycle</a> so I won't have to worry about that again!</div>The Mad Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00571816053417186892noreply@blogger.com