My view of cycling has evolved over the last few years.

Perhaps I should just say that my taste for the sport has changed slightly. I was talking with my mechanic at the bike shop (yes, there's a guy I think of as "my mechanic", like a Ferrari owner) and we were talking about how a bike ride requires a certain amount of preparation: special shorts and jersey, special shoes and socks, helmet and glasses, decisions about water and food.

The whole rigmarole has not been as welcome to me in the last few years, and I find myself using the cheap little mountain bike I've decked out for urban riding more and more. I replaced the suspension fork with a rigid fork, replaced the knobby tires with heavy-duty slicks, added fenders and a rack--voilà! An urban assault bicycle! And it's cheap enough that I won't be terribly upset when–not if–it gets stolen.

Using it means that I can slap on a helmet, maybe clip the pants legs, and go!