Tucson’s Director of Transportation, Jim Glock, says he bought his Breezer Uptown Infinity for one reason and one reason only — it had a chain guard.
He says he needs a bike with a chain guard so he doesn’t have to worry about riding around Tucson in his suit.
The bike has other perks Glock appreciates. It has an internal gear hub and the built in dynamo lights which have a sensor that turn them when it gets dark.
Glock says after having a bike stolen out of his back yard, he never forgets to lock this bike.
He rides his bike to work every day and purchased a house that was within three miles of his office so that he wouldn’t have to rely on a car to get to work.
Glock says biking in Tucson is improving, but there is still a ways to go. He says if you know where you are going you can always find a safe way to get there.
Way to go, Mr. Glock!
American bike sellers are finally beginning to catch on to the chainguard thing, and I think it’s going to keep getting better. I too bought a bike specifically because of the chainguard, fenders, and hub-driven lighting system.
Suits are expensive and a chainguard is kind of important if you are wearing one.
Great picture. Love the trunk bag/mini-pannier combo. Hope you have a Mr. Tuffy on the back wheel, Mr. Glock, cuz the fully enclosed chainguard and IGH make fixing a flat a little more complicated. The idea of wearing your work clothes to work is pure. Harder to do in this climate, but if you go slow, it’s definitely doable.
It’s more of a chain case than a chain guard per se and, yes, IGH makes that possible. A belt (rather than a chain) drive would be an interesting and potentially lo-maint upgrade
But case or guard, chain or belt, changing a rear flat in a hit suit would be stressful.
Bestest: the transpo director has moved to within three miles of office…
This looks like a good place to toss in a glowing recommendation for Specialized Armadillo tires. I went from at least a (goathead induced) flat a week to going on three years now of daily utility riding without a single flat. I even stopped carrying patches and tools after the first year.
I hate fixing flats, no matter how easy it is – I can’t even imagine trying to it without ruining a suit.
In fifteen years of using Specialized tires (road, utility, touring) Red Star has only had a couple of flats. Bontrager (Trek) tires — another story.
Regardless of the brand, one thing riders can do to minimize flats is proper inflation.
Depending on the type of ride, it’s generally easier to just bring a fresh spare tube to install rather than patching on the road. Either way you have to bring a pump.