Trek Valencia Experience : Ride #7 (of 10)
Ride Type: Moderate ride to/from work
Distance: 20.76 miles

The weather here in San Antonio has been quite interesting. I’ve had morning commutes to work with temperatures in the mid-30′s and afternoon commutes home where it was almost – dare I say – “balmy”. Short winter days also mean more interaction with limited visibility but also a chance to catch an amazing sunset on the bike ride home!

I was able to get two bicycle commutes in last week and here are the latest observations on the Valencia:

• Pedals: Increasingly frustrating me by not providing solid traction when I need it most. On a few occasions I’ve hopped out of the saddle after becoming impatient with a hill only to nearly slip off the pedal. Not good. I’ve now decided that the pedals are gonna have to go! For easy recreational riding I’m sure they’d be fine but for bicycle commuters working with terrain, wet weather, etc. they are too much of a potential liability.

• Drivetrain: The 24-speed Shimano gear set is still shifting pretty smoothly despite a few commutes in the past few weeks in wet weather. The gear ratio continues to grow on me – providing a solid high gear for fast descents and just enough in the low gear department to get you up even the steep, ornery hills.

• Bontrager “Race Lite” tires: They continue to repel glass, metal objects and more that are an unfortunate and common reality on some sections of my bike commute to work. I also continue to like the 700×32 tire size – I hadn’t appreciated how much wider they are until a recent road ride where my road bike was next to the Valencia with its tiny 700×23 wheels! The extra width has been an asset as the tire seems to confidently deflect rocks and other objects that get in its way.

So far, the Valencia continues to prove that it is ready, willing and able to handle a full year of bicycle commuting in 2009. It is likely I will end up with over 2,000 miles on this bike alone. So far, so good…