Riley Merline had been riding his Gary Fisher for 12 years before adding an Xtracycle Free Radical to it eight months ago.

He says he got his Gary Fisher as his cold weather bike when he was in college in Michigan, but decided to turn it into a longtail because he was tired of trying to carry everything on his back. Now he doesn’t have to worry about what he is taking along on his commute.

He says he likes it so much that he hasn’t even touched any of his other bikes.

Merline moved to Tucson about five years ago from Colombia and says he has become more passionate about commuter cycling since moving here. He has made cycling his primary mode of transportation.

“I try to have most of my life function within a reasonable cycling distance,” Merline says.

He says planners and public officials in western states spend a lot of time carving out space for cars. He says the problem with that is the more space created for cars, the less attractive it becomes to people.

One thought on “Rider of the week: Longtail commuter”
  1. FYI: I moved to Tucson from Colombia via an 8 month stint in Berlin. BUT, I’m from Green Bay, Wisconsin–Go Packers! 😉

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