Week 37 & 38 (August 3-7, 10-14): Riding the Greenspeed

Summary:

Week 37
Monday - No commute (vacation)
Tuesday - Bicycle
Wednesday - Car & LRT (AM Carpool)
Thursday - No commute (sick)
Friday - No commute (sick & work from home)

Week 38
Monday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Tuesday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Wednesday - Car & Bicycle (AM Carpool)
Thursday - Car (AM & PM Carpool)
Friday - Bicycle

Riding the Greenspeed
Since I've ridden the Greenspeed for almost a month now, I figured it'd be a good idea to reflect on how well it's been working for me. Here goes:

Pros
Clean - The great thing about having a chainguard is that I don't have to choose between corralling my pant legs with an ankle strap and risking a grease attack. This is especially convenient since I lost my Velcro one awhile back.

Relaxing Pace - Since there's only one speed, I can't hop on the bike and crank at full throttle; I'm forced to take it easy while I ride. This is a great way to hold back my usual instinct to pedal quickly and I've found myself enjoying these laid back commutes. The upright seating position on the bike also makes for a smooth ride.

Theft Deterrent - The Greenspeed is not likely to instigate covetous thoughts in the minds of bike thieves, and I'm comfortable securing it with only one lock (as opposed to three for the Drifter).

Economy - The initial cash outlay for the bike was $15, and I've probably put in another $20 or so in a new chain and tube. So far this cycling fiscal year the Greenspeed has generated positive cash flows (technically a reduction in cash outflows) of $54, plus another $32 from the year before.
**Disclaimer - The wheel build did cost money, but if I were to sell this bike right now I would not include the new wheel so I'm not going to include it in the calculation.

Cons
Range - My normal commute is almost perfectly flat, so for the most part I don't many gears. That being said, bitter gusts were a challenge on the way home last Friday, but could have been remedied by a quick upshift on a multi-speed bike. But on the Greenspeed my only option was to firm up my grip, grit my teeth, and grind away.

Aesthetics - I'm no expert in colors, but it does appear to be an obnoxious shade of green and my wife can't stand it. Maybe I shouldn't consider this too much of a "con" since it does decrease the likelihood of theft.

Performance - I still have the original brakes and cables which could use replacing as they're not as responsive as I'd like. This doesn't cause a problem though since the bulk of my route is on trail with no intersections and I don't ride very fast.

Overall I'm happy with the Greenspeed even though it's not an all-purpose bike. It's nice to have it as an option, though, especially on cool days when I really don't need or want to change clothes.